A Tragedy In Five Acts 1: Easy Like Sunday Morning
by Seanchaidh
Summary: The time has come for Jack to leave the Mall, but he is not alone. Post series 4 but not following series 5 ending-wise. I think I started writing it just before or after series 5 started. First of five parts. Please let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

**Easy Like Sunday Morning  
**

**Chapter 1**

The party was going well: everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Well, almost everyone. Ebony was in her room, sulking: Jay was with Amber now and Ebony didn't like that one bit. Lex was at the food table, desperately trying to avoid getting drunk: Tai San still remained elusive and Siva had finally given up and left him. Jack was leaning against the wall, watching Luke and Ellie dance.

"Come dance with me," cried Gel, tugging at his shirt.

"Nah, nah: I don't do dancing," the red haired boy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at his feet.

"Yeah, so what? Neither do most people here it seems," the younger girl said, wrinkling her nose at the current dancers in distaste, "Everyone in the Modes could dance!"

Jack laughed: a short, tired laugh. He had heard nothing from Gel other than how much better her old tribe had been than any other ever since the day he'd met her. He had been baby-sitting her ever since then too. Grudgingly, he allowed himself to be dragged onto the dance floor, next to Mouse and Sammy. Further over, Jay and Amber were dancing close together.

"It's not even a slow song," Gel complained.

Jack merely rolled his eyes in reply and shuffled from one foot to the other, with his hands stuffed into his pockets attempting what he hoped would pass for dancing.

"Huh!" Gel sighed, "You're hopeless!"

"I warned ya!"

Gel rolled her eyes and turned to dance with Mouse and Sammy. Jack shuffled off, thus mercifully released, to regain his post against the wall once more and observe. Every one of his old friends, who had so far returned anyway, had someone. Amber had Jay, Trudy had Ryan (he was still trying to work out how that happened), May had Pride and Ellie had Luke. Only Lex and Ebony were alone and that was entirely their own fault. Even Sammy had one almighty crush on Gel, although Jack couldn't see why: Gel had more innocently derisive remarks for Sammy than any other Mall Rat, apart from Jack himself of course.

Jack looked around him, taking stock of what he saw. There were others out there not so happy as this lot, give or take Lex and Ebony, he thought. Slade had gone off on his motorbike, leaving Ruby to her crossword puzzles and the saloon bar in Liberty. Salene was still out there somewhere whilst both of her beaus had moved on. KC had never quite made it back to them, nor had Alice, Tally or Andy. Ved, Cloe and Bray were dead, as was, most probably, Tai San. Mega and Java had disappeared off somewhere with a pack of Technos after Ram had been killed once and for all and the mystery of Zoot had finally been solved. Everyone had everything in hand. The mall was safe. Jay could fix anything that needed fixing: he had spent enough time working with Jack on the alarm system and other electronics of the mall to know them like the back of his hand. There was no need for Jack to stay. They didn't need him any more, not here. There were others out there who did.

Jack slipped out of the room and up the stairs, heading for his father's old electronics shop. Gathering some stuff into a rucksack, things to trade, some tools, some clothes and a few personal items, he headed back along the corridor. Stopping off at the old cafe, where the food was once again stored since the city returned to peace, he shoved a few tins into the rucksack, along with some vegetables and turned to leave. Stopping inches from the stairs, he stopped, sighed and turned back to the cafe. Walking over to a set of drawers, he opened the top one and took out a knife, fork, spoon and, most importantly, one of the mall's many can openers. This time, when he reached the stairs, he didn't hesitate and went straight down to the side of the old fountain.

When he reached the phoenix statue, after which the mall was named, Jack stopped, hearing a familiar tune playing in the room across the entrance hall. It was a tune he and his father had loved. His father had always loved Jazz of any form and had been responsible for Jack's love of the music. This had been one of their favourites. Jack drew closer to the door as the intro played. As he looked through at his old friends, his eyes settled on Ellie and Luke, kissing passionately in the middle of the dance floor. When the song finally reached the lyrics, they seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

"Know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain,  
Girl I'm leavin' you tomorrow,  
Seems to me, girl, you know I've done all I can,  
You see I begged, stole and I borrowed.

Yeah

That's why I'm easy,  
I'm easy like Sunday mornin'.  
That's why I'm easy,  
I'm easy like Sunday mornin'."

As the song played on, Jack turned and walked away. Not tomorrow, he thought, today: now. He made his way out of the mall quickly and quietly before any of the others noticed him. He didn't see Ebony on the balcony, watching as he paused at the entrance of the mall for the last time, listening to the familiar and well loved tune of his life before the virus. He was gone by the time she returned with a bag of her own things to follow him.

"I wanna be high, so high,  
I wanna be free to know the things I do are right,  
I wanna be free, just me..."

Ebony picked out Jack's voice as he sang quietly to himself. It's funny, she thought, he doesn't stutter when he sings.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jack travelled all night, oblivious to Ebony's shadowing presence. He had a lot of ground to cover: he wanted to make it out of the city before morning, then on to Liberty. The food he had taken would last the full day's journey to Liberty and no more: he hadn't wanted to take more than his share. As he walked, he became aware of secondary footsteps mimicking his own: when he stopped, they stopped. Of course, they could just be echoes, he thought. The area of the city that he was passing through was desolate to say the least and the darkened walls on either side of him seemed to consume any sound that passed nearby, chewing it up and spitting it out again in tinny echoes like something out of a Hitchcock film. Jack kept walking, looking straight ahead of him, but aware of what went on at either side of him. The piles of discarded rubbish loomed menacingly against the walls, offering hiding places for rats of the human kind as well as any other. Suddenly, hoping to catch his shadow off guard, he spun round.

"Ebony!" Jack sighed, catching sight of her as she dived for cover, "W-what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," the leather-clad girl replied, nonchalantly, as she extracted herself from the nearby heap of rubbish, dusting herself off as she did so.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't the one doing the following, was I?"

Ebony shrugged and picked up her bag. Slinging it over one shoulder she sauntered up to him and, taking Jack's arm, turned the boy round to face the way he had been travelling and started walking again, slipping her arm through his to prevent any escape.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"W-we?" Jack stammered, turning them both around and trying to remove his arm from Ebony's "No, no, no, no, no! WE are not going anywhere! I am leaving, YOU are going back to the mall. Th-there is no WAY you are coming with me!"

"Oh no, I AM going with you Jack! I don't care where, so long as it's out of the city! I can't stay at the mall with Amber and Jay playing happy families! I can't even stay in the city: most of them still think I'm mad!"

"Yeah, a-and can you blame them? R-really, Ebony, what do you expect? You put them through hell! A-and will you _let go_ of my arm, you are NOT coming with me!"

"Please, Jack," Ebony put on her sweetest, most beguiling tones and sidled up close to him, "Take me away from here. I'll make it worth your while."

"W-what?" Jack cried, pushing her away from him, "No, Ebony, you are not travelling with me and believe me, you have _nothing_ I want so quit trying to bribe me, or anything else for that matter!"

"Come on, Jack!" Ebony pleaded, "I won't be any trouble. Please?"

"Ebony, y-you're a trouble magnet! I-if I take you with me, I probably won't get out of the city alive!"

"But that's just it, see? I'm such a better fighter than you! If you ran into trouble, you would be beaten to a pulp without a second thought!"

"I've always managed before!"

"Yeah, only 'cause you had the others to rescue you! You wouldn't have got out of Liberty if Lex and Slade hadn't turned up! The only reason you were still alive when they found you was probably because those guys didn't want to hurt something so helpless!"

"Yeah, and flattering me won't work either!"

Jack turned to go, shrugging off Ebony's arm as he did so. She let him walk on, then went back to following at a distance. Jack eventually sighed and turned to face her. Reading the look he gave her, Ebony shrugged.

"What? I just happen to be walking the same way as you! In case you hadn't noticed, there are only two directions on this street and I've told you I'm not going back!"

Jack merely sighed again and shrugged in reply. Shaking his head, he turned back to the road and continued on his way. They walked like that until dawn: Jack walking silently a few metres ahead of Ebony, aware of her presence only because he knew what she was like, Ebony following equally silently behind, watching his every move in case he tried to lose her. When the sun finally rose, they were heading into a more populated, though equally shady, sector of the city. Jack finally relented.

"Okay," he sighed turning to face Ebony, "you win. We're going to Liberty."

"I knew you_0'_d come round," Ebony smiled, triumphantly, walking up to his side as he turned back to the road, sullenly.

"It's better we walk through this area together anyway."

"Scared you might need a bodyguard?"

"Okay, th-that's it! Either you quit with the jibes or you leave me alone!"

"Oh, but it's such _fun_," Ebony cried, loudly: Jack was so easy to wind up.

"What's this?" said a voice behind them, "A lover's tiff?"

"Hardly!" sighed Jack as he and Ebony turned to face the speaker.

Before them stood not one but three burly young men with two young women idling behind them.

"Hey, look Cole," laughed one of the men beside the speaker, "it's the madwoman!"

"She'd have to be mad to be going out with that geek!" laughed one of the girls, causing Jack's face to flush and feel warm.

"Hey!" Ebony cried, defensively, "This _geek_ is a genius!"

"Huh!" laughed the first speaker, Cole it seemed, "They always did say there were only a few steps between genius and madness!"

"Looks like a lot less from here!" sneered one of the girls.

"Hmm," Cole nodded, "Get 'em!"

Ebony and Jack turned and ran.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ebony and Jack ran, helter-skelter, through the near deserted city streets. They were lighter and faster on their feet than their pursuers and so quickly managed to outdistance them. Rounding a corner, Ebony went flying forward. Jack doubled back to help her up, casting a glance back down the previous street to see the first of the two girls rounding the last corner. She saw them and gave a shout.

"Ah," Ebony winced as Jack helped her to her feet. "I think I've twisted my ankle."

"In here," Jack replied, nodding to a door off to one side of them.

"Ow, Jack, I can't walk!"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, some warrior queen you are!" the boy sighed, lifting her up over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and hastening through the door, closing it behind them only seconds before the chasers came hurtling round the corner.

"Thanks," Ebony whispered as Jack put her down gently in a corner of the small room they had entered.

Jack stood up straight and looked around them. Once his eyes got used to the dark of the room, he could make out a set of stairs leading upwards: they were in a hallway, probably of a flat above one of the small shops that used to be around here. He looked down at Ebony, sitting, massaging her ankle on the floor, and listened. There was no noise from outside: the streets were quiet once more.

"I'm gonna take a look around upstairs," Jack said, quietly.

"Upstairs?" Ebony looked around, confused, then saw the staircase, "Oh. Okay."

The stairs proved near treacherous in the dim light and Jack had to grab hold of the banister a few times at least to steady himself. When he reached the landing he found a door with its glass panels broken and hanging from one hinge; the wood of the door frame was splintered where the lock had been forced free. Cautiously, he stepped through the entrance. The place looked as though it had been raided then abandoned and Jack didn't hold out much hope of finding anything useful, but something didn't feel right. The room he had walked into was an open-plan kitchen, dining room and living room, with three doors off to one side. Opening drawers and cupboard doors with a length of wood from the door frame, Jack managed to disturb a few rats but find little else until, as he systematically made his way round the kitchen area, he came across some cupboards that were still full: something had obviously disturbed the raiders and they had stayed away since then. Jack looked around: the other areas were the same, all half raided then left alone. He turned his attention to the three doors. The first was a bathroom. The second a half shelved closet. The third door opened into a bedroom.

Scanning his gaze around the room, Jack quickly picked out what had disturbed the raiders. On the bed there lay two skeletons, all their flesh having rotted away in the open air over the past four years. Perhaps, when the raiders first attacked the flat, these corpses had been fresh and putrid. The smell would have chased anything away. Now, there was nothing, no rotting flesh, no smell; nothing but bare bones and the few scraps of clothing that remained. Taking a closer look, he saw the old pistol lying in one bony hand and the holes in either head: here were a couple who had wanted to die on their own terms and together. But they were no longer: there were no ghosts here and no contagion. There was nothing here that would prevent Jack taking what he could from the remaining foods and provisions. Perhaps better not to tell Ebony about their neighbours, though, he thought.

Returning to the kitchen area after having a look through the bedroom cupboards, Jack once again opened the unspoiled cupboards. A few rats scurried away here and there. Much of the food Jack found was well past its sell-by date and would almost certainly be inedible, but beggars can't be choosers as the saying goes. Collecting what he could into an old satchel he had found in the bedroom wardrobe, Jack descended the stairs once more to find Ebony sitting on the stairs with her head against the wall.

"L-looks like we got lucky," Jack said, sitting down next to her.

Hearing no reply, sarcastic or otherwise, Jack looked across at his uninvited companion to find her sleeping soundly and peacefully. Her face was relaxed: the lines of pain, anger, doubt, madness, worry and the thousand other tumultuous emotions that plagued everyone in this fearsome new world erased by pure exhaustion. It's funny, he thought: she doesn't look half as fierce when she's asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jack and Ebony spent an uneventful morning sleeping in the hallway of the flat. When eventually hunger began to gnaw at their stomach, they awoke: Ebony waking Jack by pushing him upright off her shoulder where his head had eventually drifted to. Bleary eyed, Jack went through his satchel of freshly found food. There was some cheese, Edam, still whole, Bavarian smoked stuff and Stilton, even mouldier than usual, oatcakes, rye crackers, a bag of porridge oats, with an unobtrusive hole in one corner, which Jack had been able to patch to some degree, tinned fruit, beans, spaghetti, stew and curry and two flasks of water, which had become stale and tinny tasting, but would still do in emergencies.

Jack refused to take Ebony upstairs, saying the place was in turmoil, with broken windows and rats all over the place. It was the mention of rats that kept Ebony on the stair side of the broken door, now propped back into place as best Jack could manage. There was no way he would willingly tell her what lay in the bedroom upstairs: skeletons didn't bother him, but he wasn't going to risk carrying Ebony through these streets because they bothered her! They would wait until her ankle was healed before moving on to Liberty, it should only set them back a day and they now had provisions enough for that. Since the mention of rats, however, Ebony refused to eat anything that was not out of a tin, not that there was much choice.

"Th-this is good, huh?" Jack said, with a fake cheerfulness, trying to raise a smile from his petite companion.

"Fantastic," sighed Ebony, sarcastically. "Just like the Ritz!"

"There is some cheese y'know," Jack offered. "It was a whole round, all in wax, so the mould hasn't really got to it like the other stuff."

"I'm not worried about the mould so much as the rats! Ew, I'm not eating something they could have been nibbling at!"

"It was still in an airtight, intact, plastic box: they haven't been near it!"

"Well hooray for the triumph of Tupperware! I'm still not touching it, if the rats won't eat it I sure won't!"

"Huh," Jack sighed rolling his eyes. "I-I just can't win with you, can I? Y-you're worse than Gel! Oh well, all the more for me!"

"You're welcome to it."

"And don't I know it!"

"Do we have to stay here?" Ebony moaned, she'd been doing that a lot through this meal. "It's cold, dark and there are rats upstairs."

"Hey, I-I'm not the one who turned my ankle runnin' away from the bad guys here!"

"Well y'don't _have_ to stay with me, you know," she cried in an injured tone.

"Roughly twelve hours ago you were begging me not to leave you!" Jack replied, exasperated.

"Maybe that's just the effect you have on women!"

"Th-thank you, v-very much. I-I'll remember that n-next time you need carrying somewhere!"

"Sing something."

"Wh-what?"

"Sing something, maybe it'll pass the time a bit better than arguing."

"I-I can't sing!" Jack cried, his face flushing until he was sure she could see it even in this dim light. "Ebony, I-I can't even talk straight at the best of times, you know that!"

"I also know you can sing. I heard you last night. That's how I caught up with you."

"Y-you heard me?"

"Singing that song that was playing when you left. You're good."

"Hah, yeah, right! You wanna hear me sing? Little Miss can-everyone-hear-me-or-shall-I-turn-the-shower-down Ebony! Right!"

"Aw, come on, I'm tired of hearing myself sing. Although it ain't half as much fun when Amber's not around to drive up the wall. She hates the fact I can sing and she can't!"

"Heh, I gotta give you that. She's a great gal, but our leader is no Donna Gardier!"

"Who?"

"Hmm? Oh, she was a Jazz singer. One of my Dad's fav's. He told me it was one of her songs that had been playing when he met my Mom. He had it played when he proposed to her too. It was their song."

"What was it called?"

"'How Sweet It Is'," Jack replied, wistfully, staring at nothing. "full title, 'How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You'. He couldn't listen to it for years after she died. He never listened to it again, I think. Not until the day he died. I think he was relieved when the virus hit. It let him go to join her. It was still playing when he went."

Ebony reached up and brushed away a tear Jack didn't even know had appeared. He had never talked about his father's death before. He'd tried to banish it from his memory, always looking forward instead of back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stir up all that," Ebony said, softly, meaning every word: she had never seen Jack cry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The rest of that day passed without much incident, although during the night that followed there seemed to be plenty going on outside the door. On the morning of the second day since leaving the mall, Jack and Ebony ventured out into the now quieter streets and headed n to Liberty once more.

"It sure seems that the main excitement round here happens after nightfall," Ebony commented, quietly, as they walked.

"I-It was the same even before the virus hit," Jack replied, in the same hushed tones. "Funny how some things never change, n-no matter what happens."

"Hmm."

The conversation died quickly, silence begetting silence in the desolate sector through which they travelled. Eventually, the buildings thinned and became more industrialised: they were getting near the city boundary. An hour or so after midday, the two had finally reached the outskirts and the Liberty road; only then would Jack agree to stop and eat something.

"How long do you think it'll take us then?" Ebony asked, fumbling with the can-opener on a tin of spaghetti hoops.

"I-I dunno," Jack mumbled, sheepishly, before breaking into a more accusing tone. "H-had we travelled through the night, l-like I'd intended to, we would have been having breakfast here, not lunch! G-Gimme that!"

"Oh, so it's my fault the world's full of crazy people who want me dead?" The girl cried, indignantly, taking the open tin back from Jack and murmuring a quiet "Thanks".

"Well, l-let's just say 'Th-that's another fine mess you've gotten me into!' I-If I'd been alone, I-I would be there by now!"

"What makes you think you wouldn't be dead by now?"

"Th-the fact that I-I only got noticed at all because y-you were there, m-making a fuss!"

"Well, if you hadn't argued!"

"I-If you hadn't f-followed me!"

"Aarrggh, does it really matter?"

Ebony turned back to her tin of spaghetti hoops, signalling the conversation was at an end. Jack took a bite of his cheese, staring sullenly at the fire, then sighed, got up and stormed off. For a second, Ebony considered following him, but then checked that he'd left his pack and turned back to their fire. There was no way she was going to let him think he'd won their little argument: she'd had to get out of the city and Jack was one, reasonably easy, way of doing so, that was all that mattered.

Jack headed off towards some old buildings and slumped down against the wall of one of them. There it was, he thought, smiling to himself: peace and quiet. The sun was warm as he sat there, finishing the rest of his cheese and mulling over why, every time he seemed to be winning and argument, Ebony would always do something to trivialise it or change the subject. Not that their arguments weren't trivial, usually that was all they were, but there were a lot of them: apart from walking through that nocturnal sector of the city where they had spent the previous day, Jack couldn't think of two hours together that he and Ebony had spent with each other without some sort of argument exploding, not for a long time now, anyway. Even with this morning's walk, the only way that they had avoided any arguments was by not talking at all! And now he'd condemned himself to unleash her on Liberty! At least there she would have other people to occupy her time and he would get some peace.

Jack didn't know why they argued, they just did and it was starting to get on his nerves. He could hear his stutter get progressively worse as each argument went on and his temper was getting shorter every time she cut him off like that. When they'd argued back in the mall, everyone else had been there and it wouldn't be just a one on one fight, it would usually be a ten on one fight, with Amber and Lex counting for at least two of those ten each at the worst of times! Perhaps that was all it was: Ebony was used to fighting herself against the world, whereas Jack was just used to fighting with computers, which sometimes seemed to understand logical arguments.

Lost in his thoughts and lulled by the warmth of the sun, Jack drifted into sleep. He was woken, a while later, by the sound of his name being called and the feeling of someone brushing his hair back from his forehead. It was Ebony. She had their packs with her.

"If you don't know how long it's gonna take us to get to Liberty, shouldn't we be leaving already?" Ebony said, her tone teasing.

"Y-Yeah," Jack mumbled, fixing his hair. "I just ... Never mind, let's go."

Pulling himself to his feet and shaking of the remnants of the sleep that had overpowered him, Jack slung his pack onto his back and headed off down the towards their road and on to Liberty. Ebony paused for a moment, then shook her head and headed off to catch up with him.

"Sorry," she murmured when she reached his side.

She cast a glance sideways at her companion and guide. For a moment it looked as though Jack was going to say something, then he just sighed and carried on walking. Although the day was clear and the weather good for the journey, they said little all that afternoon, each unwilling to start another argument that might hold them up further. This didn't help them reach Liberty that day, however, and as the sun began to set, Jack decided that they had better stop the night on the road, or rather, slightly off the road, out of sight of night-time travellers.

They settled in the lea of some thick bushes for the night, taking care to put out their fire once they had finished their supper: this close to the road, there was too much of a risk of attracting passers by with the light to keep it burning. The bushes themselves provided some cover from chilling night breezes, but this did not make up for the fact that Jack had been the only one with enough foresight to bring a blanket and there had been none at the flat that had not been in use by corpses. Huddled together, Ebony was asleep in minutes, but Jack lay awake, thinking why in the world he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, curled up in extremely close proximity to the one woman in this world he found more irritating than Gel!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The first moments after Ebony awakened were disorientating. For a moment she was sure she was back in the mall, in her own bed with Jay. But then she realised that her bed wasn't this lumpy, her room wasn't green and Jay didn't wear a shirt in bed. Besides, he was with Amber now anyway, whereas she was out in the middle of nowhere with a computer geek for a hot water bottle. Looking up at Jack's face, she saw he was still sound asleep. Extracting herself from their single blanket, Ebony busied herself setting up their fire again to cook breakfast. They still had some oatmeal and there was a stream nearby: porridge was the order of the day for breakfast.

When the porridge was almost done, Jack finally stirred. He also seemed to suffer from the momentary delusion of being back in the mall, but the sight of leaves above his head, rather than a roof, brought him quickly to his senses and he looked round for Ebony.

"Did you think I'd done a runner?" Ebony asked from her post at the fire.

"Huh?" Jack caught sight of her at last. "Oh, n-no. I-I just .."

"Breakfast is nearly ready."

"Th-thanks."

Untangling himself from the blanket was a complicated task for Jack and Ebony did her best to hide an amused smile. Eventually, however, he joined her by the fire and took the small bowl of porridge she handed him.

"D-Did you find that stream we heard?" he asked, once breakfast was over, "I-I just kinda have to wash the sleep out of my face before I'm properly awake."

"I've noticed," Ebony bit her lip, she was trying, really trying, not to spend the rest of the journey arguing. "It's just over that rise there."

"Thanks, I-I won't be long."

Jack disappeared over the rise as Ebony packed away their things. She used the tinny water in the flasks to wash the dishes, rather that than drink it, and she'd fill them again from the stream once Jack was back.

Half an hour passed and Jack had not returned. It wasn't like he'd gone for a swim: the water wasn't deep enough. Ebony climbed to the top of the rise and looked down to the stream. Jack was crouched at the bank, his shirt in one hand, watching something intently. Ebony followed his gaze. It was hard to see at this distance, but she could just make it out what looked like a green branch sticking straight up in the grass. The "branch" darted forwards slightly: a snake. Jack didn't move. From this distance, even if she had known snakes well, Ebony couldn't have told you if it was poisonous. If it was, her running down the bank to Jack's aid wouldn't help matters one bit. She sat down on the top of the rise and watched. He was on his own with this. Minutes seemed like hours. Occasionally, the snake would weave one way or another, trying to encourage its prey to move, judging it's strike distance, but Jack remained frozen. Then, so quickly that Ebony jumped involuntarily, the snake dived forward and Jack made a grab for its head. When Ebony reached him, slightly out of breath from her race down the bank, she saw Jack throw the snake in the water and stand up. He pulled his shirt over his head as he turned to meet her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine."

"It didn't get you?"

"Nah, it got the shirt. I'm fine. Really."

"You didn't kill it?"

"Why should I? I-I was the one invading it's home, not the other way round. It was just defending itself."

"But?"

"Ah, well, I might have drowned it, but I didn't mean to."

"But?"

"What? I-It was just a snake! M-My uncle had loads of them on his farm."

Ebony was still saying "but" when they reached the campsite to collect their things, but they were soon on the road once more and conversation died into daydreams. Jack was busy trying to figure out how far they still had to travel and whether Ebony's ankle, which seemed so much better when she ran down to him after the snake incident, would hold them up much. Ebony was still trying to figure out how the computer geek beat the snake. By sunset, the arch of Liberty was visible and Jack decided to push for the saloon. It would be nice to sleep in a proper bed again, preferably in a whole other room from Ebony.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The entrance to Liberty reflected the dying rays of the sun as Jack and Ebony drew near to their goal. Jack's plan was to spend one night in Liberty then leave the next day before Ebony found out he'd gone. The only problem was his distinct inability to wake early. He could always ask Ruby to wake him, but he didn't think she would appreciate having Ebony dumped on her so it might be better to keep his plan to himself. He was deep in these thoughts when he felt Ebony grab his arm and stop him.

"Can you hear that?" she asked.

"H-Hear what?" Jack replied, then stopped to listen more closely.

In the distance, they could just hear the sound of hoof beats and laughter. Jack recognised the voices.

"I-It's those guys I ran into here before," he cried, shoving Ebony towards the side of the road. "W-when I was here with Gel. Get out of sight. Quick!"

The two travellers dived behind the bushes that ran alongside the road and hoped they were thick enough to hide them. A few seconds later, they heard the three men ride round the corner of the road they had walked round only about five minutes ago: they were lucky they had not already been seen. Jack and Ebony waited as the three riders trotted past, exchanging crass jokes and raucous laughter and commenting on how Slade hadn't been seen or heard of for months and the township was theirs for the taking once more.

"Dammit!" Jack cursed once they were out of earshot.

"What's up? Who are they?"

"Th-the last time I was here, they saw me with Gel and took a liking to her. I-I don't know what they were planning to do with her, 'cause Lex and Slade saw them off before they got her, but neither of them are here now. Plus th-they're bound to put in more effort this time 'cos you're ..." Jack stopped, aware of the hole he was digging for himself, or possibly grave, "never mind, let's get going."

"I'm what?" Ebony frowned and grabbed Jack's sleeve, keeping him hidden next to her.

"I-It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does! I wanna know what you were gonna say!"

"I-I dunno! Let's get going before the last of the light goes!"

"No, Jack, tell me what you were gonna say! Because I'm what? Ebony, the madwoman who married a dead maniac?"

"I-I never said that!"

"A weakened warrior queen without any backup to protect her?" Ebony caught Jack off balance and knocked him backwards, pinning him down. "In case you hadn't noticed I don't need backup!"

"Yeah, 'cos Gel was so great at self-defence!"

"Well, what then?" Ebony settled herself with her arms folded on Jack's chest, they were almost nose to nose. "You're going nowhere until you tell me."

Jack sighed. He should have known it was too late to back out of that last sentence before he even started it, now he was really trapped!

"Because..." He began, grudgingly. "Because you're beautiful. You're a babe, hot, whatever! Can we go now?"

"_You_ think _I'm_ beautiful?" Ebony sounded shocked, but slightly amused, as if this were a new piece of information to store up for future use as emotional blackmail or whatever.

"H-Hey, d-don't get any ideas, remember I'm only comparing you to Gel!"

"Uh-huh."

"Th-the light's going, we should be at the saloon by now."

Ebony looked up at the sky then back down at Jack. The light was going. She would have plenty time to tease him about this in the saloon. She stood up and held out her hand to help him up.

"Okay, let's go," she said, with a cheerfulness that instilled the deepest fear in Jack.

"Th-thank you!" he muttered, dusting down his shirt.

When they arrived at the saloon, Ruby was cleaning the almost empty bar. She greeted them with the weary gratefulness of an unhappy child, visited at school. Her weariness faded, however, when she heard they were staying.

"So will that be two rooms or just one?" she asked, conspiratorially.

"_Two!_" Jack said, quickly, glancing sideways to see Ebony try to stifle a grin.

"Uh-huh?" Ruby gave them a look that said she thought there was something going on, wasn't sure what, but would try her best to find out, then turned and picked two keys off the board. "Rooms 27 and 29. Top floor, next door to each other, end of the corridor."

"Thanks," Jack replied, taking the key for room 29.

"Sleep well," Ruby cried as they climbed the stairs.

There were only ten rooms on each floor in the saloon. The first floor held rooms 10 to 19, the second housed rooms 20 to 29. All the even numbered rooms looked out onto the street, whereas all the odd numbered ones faced the large and surprisingly well kept vegetable garden that Ruby somehow found time to look after. Jack's room was at the top corner of the building and comprised an old dresser with a washbasin and jug on it, a cracked mirror, a rather dodgy looking single bed and an old wardrobe. There was also a door leading into the room next to Jack's: Ebony's room. Jack went over to the door and pushed the bolt across, locking it, then went back and did the same to the corridor door. Peace at last! Crumpling up on the bed, he drifted into a deep sleep.

Downstairs, Ebony sat at the bar, chatting to Ruby. She had deposited her things in her room then gone back down to see what news she could find out. As it turned out, Ruby already knew of the return of the three men who had passed them on the road. They were, according to Ruby, slavers. They would sell anything and anyone for a good enough price. They were always on the lookout for girls, more than guys, because they fetched a higher price. At least that was the only reason Ruby had heard of. It wasn't the only one she suspected.

Slade had brought her back from the city, after they left, then took off again the same day. She had no idea where he was now. Ebony picked up on the wistful tone in her voice and asked her if anything had happened between the two that she didn't know about. Ruby just laughed and asked the same about Ebony and Jack.

"No way!" Ebony replied. "I just needed to get out of the city, that's all. Jack was leaving, I followed him and persuaded him to take me with him."

"Indeed," Ruby laughed. "And exactly how did you manage that then?"

"The pity vote, I think. We had a bit of a ... an exchange of words on the matter. Some gang chased us. I hurt my ankle. Jack helped me out. He's a sucker for a damsel in distress."

"Ain't they all!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jack woke the next morning with a pounding headache. The light was too bright. He grudgingly stumbled out of bed and over to the washbasin. Ten minutes later he was on his way down the stairs to the bar, without his stuff: there was no way he was going anywhere with this headache. Besides, he thought, another day at Ruby's hospitality wouldn't kill him. It wasn't as if he had a deadline or appointment to make. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, Jack could hear voices from below: Ebony's and Ruby's. He sighed and shuffled round the corner to meet them.

"Morning, Jack," Ruby cried, cheerfully.

"M-Morning, Ruby," Jack mumbled.

"And what about me?" Ebony asked, tuning to look at him then putting her glass of water down and coming over to him. "Are you all right? Jack, you look terrible!"

"Huh! G-Gee thanks!" Jack tried to laugh off his condition, but his head only ached more when he did so, causing him to wince. "Just a-a bit of a sore head, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Ebony, for once, sounded genuinely concerned. "You're face is really pale. Jack, go back to bed. Ruby and I'll bring you up some breakfast."

"I-I'm fine, really, just tired. I-I'll be okay once I've had something to eat."

Once he had finished his breakfast, Ebony had to admit that he did look a little better. Ruby agreed and asked them how long they would be staying in an obvious attempt to change the topic of conversation and stop Ebony fussing over Jack.

"Ah, I-I honestly couldn't tell ya," Jack replied, rubbing his eyes. "I-I'll see how things go."

"Aren't you travelling together?"

"E-Ebony just wanted to get out of the city. I-I'm leaving here on my own."

"Hey!" Ebony cried out, indignantly. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Y-You said you needed to get out of the city, now you're out. Why don't you stay here for a while a-and help Ruby run this place. You two seem to get on well enough. B-Better than I remember, in fact."

"But I thought ..."

"Ebony, I left the mall on my own because I wanted to spend some time on my own. I-I don't make a brilliant travelling companion for anyone but myself. Especially not you! W-We had few enough conversations on the way here and most of them either started out as or became arguments! Some of them weren't anything else! I-If we were to head off from here together, we'd probably drive each other mad!"

"Fine. Go you're own way. Whatever!" Ebony got up and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

"Ruby, is there, is there something I can do to help? Anything, I don't mind what."

"I'm sure I could find you something. Why? I wouldn't want to be working if I had a headache!"

"I-I just need something to do. I'm no good at just sitting around, doing nothing all day. Anything to take my mind off things. Besides, gotta pay my way somehow!"

"Well, when you put it like that, I do have a use for you."

"Really? Well, um, wh-what can I do for ya?"

"Come with me. I think I have a job that is right up your street!"

Jack followed Ruby through into the back room of the bar, which looked like it had once been a function suite. In one corner there was a stage with a dust-sheet covered article over at one side of it. Just off to one side of the stage was another dust-sheet covered lump that seemed to have a very familiar shape.

"You just got the power back, up here, didn't you?" Jack asked as Ruby led him over to the first dust-sheet on the stage.

"Yep," she replied, pulling back the cover to reveal an old karaoke machine before making her way over to the other item. "but some things ain't content with just being plugged back into the mains."

The other article was revealed to be, as Jack suspected, an old and battered jukebox.

"A-And I take it you want me to get these going again?"

"It would really liven this place up if we had some music. Even if you can just get one of them going, it would be a great help."

"I-I'll certainly do my best! Do you have any tools?"

"Sure, I'll just get them. Perhaps it's you who should stay, I could do with a handyman around!"

"We'll see."

Ruby left Jack with the tools and hurried upstairs to Ebony's room.

"Ebony?" Ruby called, tentatively, as she prised open the bedroom door.

"What?" Ebony's voice shook, as though she'd been crying.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"'Bout what. I don't see that there's much to talk about."

"How about what's going on between you and Jack? There must be something!"

"No, I told you last night how we ended up here together. There's nothing else to tell."

"Yes there is or you wouldn't be up here crying your eyes out! You didn't cry when Jay and Amber got together! Why would you cry now?"

"Because I'm sick of being on my own! Ebony against the world! I left the mall because I couldn't stand them watching my every move, treating me like I was still mad, leaving me out of any of their little meetings. I took my chance, leaving with Jack. I know we argued, but I tried not to. He just gets to me sometimes and I lose my temper, then he loses his and we find something to disagree about, however trivial. I just, I don't know, I've found out so much about him these past two days. I though we were starting to get past all the arguments, well, apart from the one last night, but that was my fault. I shouldn't have assumed ... I don't know."

"What did you fight about?"

"He was saying something about me and stopped before he finished the sentence. I assumed he must have been going to say something horrible, so I got all defensive and fought with him and had him pinned on his back before he would tell me what he was going to say then, when he told me, it was something really ... nice. Sweet, even. He's a very sweet guy. One of the few."

"Uh-huh," Ruby studied Ebony's face as the younger girl's voice grew wistful and eyes misted over. "So that's it."

"What?" Ebony looked up, sharply, confused.

"You're falling for him!"

"No, n-n-n-n-no, that is not it!" Ebony stood up and walked around the room, waving her hands furiously. "Th-that's never gonna happen so just stop even considering it! Besides, he's still in love with Ellie! Probably always will be. And you know I never play second fiddle to anyone, let alone the little witch who tried to kill me!"

"Uh-huh," Ruby was almost laughing.

"It's not!"

"What's not what?" Jack asked from the door way.

Ebony yelped guiltily as she jumped away from him. Ruby turned round to face Jack, still giggling slightly.

"Finished already?" she asked, trying and failing to keep her face straight.

"Yeah, y-you'd only blown a couple of fuses," Jack's voice grew suspicious as Ruby tried to stifle more laughter and Ebony stared fixedly out of the window. "Wh-what am I missing here? Do I have something on my face? What? What is it?"

"It's nothing Jack," Ruby said soothingly. "You just interrupted some girl talk, that's all. It's never a good idea for guys to do that."

"Oh, right, I-I guess I'd better go f-find something else to do then?"

"If you could keep an eye on the bar for me? That'd be great."

"S-Sure. Ebs, are you okay? Y-You look as though you've been crying?"

"Oh, um," Ebony frowned as she turned to face Jack, there being no more point in trying to hide the mascara streaks, "we were talking about J, that's all."

"Okay, w-well if you're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine Jack. Go. Please!"

Finally Jack nodded and left and, once the girls heard his feet on the stairs, they returned to their conversation.

"No, you're not falling for him at all Ebony!" Ruby teased. "Not at all!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When the two girls eventually emerged from the room, they heard music from the bar below. As they reached the last flight of stairs, the newly re-commissioned jukebox changed track from one soulful jazz tune to another. As the girls descended, the lyrics started and two voices could be heard. Ebony put her hand on Ruby's arm, holding her back. Ruby looked up, confused, to see Ebony put one finger to her lips in a signal to be quiet, then to her ear in a signal to listen.

_"Ain't thinkin' 'bout love today, lost in the sunlight, walkin' down memory lane  
Ain't thinkin' 'bout you today, people from the past that I knew were slowly slippin' away.  
Seems so long ago, since we were carefree.  
Photographs lost in time are all I see.  
A pointless nostalgic - that's me.  
That's me."_

"I didn't know he could sing!" Ruby whispered, incredulously.

"Neither does he," Ebony whispered back, "and he won't if he thinks there's anyone listening."

Slowly, quietly, the two girls crept down the few remaining stairs and peered around the corner of the wood-panelled wall. One voice came from the jukebox, as expected, the other came from Jack. The bar was empty, not an unusual occurrence at this time of day, and Jack sang on, oblivious to his new audience.

"_Thoughts runnin' 'round my head today.  
Times from the past popping up, where they're from I don't know.  
Reminiscin' my cares away.  
Wishin' I could go back and change the points that were low,  
'Til I realise that life's meant to be.  
Photographs lost in time are all I see.  
A pointless nostalgic - that's me.  
That's me."_

Ebony smiled as she watched Jack absolutely lost in the music he loved. She clamped one hand over her mouth to stop herself giggling at his dancing. Ruby pressed her forehead to the wood panelling and bit her lip then turned to Ebony and mouthed the words "Aw, bless!". Soon the instrumental, and the less than brilliant dancing that accompanied it, ended and the dual voices returned.

"_Reminiscin' my cares away.  
Wishin' I could go back and change the points that were low,  
'Til I realise that life's meant to be.  
Photographs lost in time are all I see.  
A pointless nostalgic - that's me.  
That's me._

It's all I'll ever be.  
It's all I'll ever be.

'Cause that's me.  
It's all I'll ever be.

'Cause that's me."

The song ended and Jack jumped about a foot in the air when he heard the applause from the stairs. His face went white, then red as anger was quickly replaced by embarrassment.

"H-How long have you two b-been th-there?" Jack queried, stuffing his hands in his pockets and assuming his usual sullen and cynical composure.

"Long enough," Ebony replied, smiling as they walked over to him.

"We were on the stairs when the song started," Ruby confessed.

Jack sighed, shuffled his feet and stared at the bar. Ruby smiled and said she would go and see what they had for lunch, then headed towards the kitchen. Ebony walked up to Jack and put her arms round his waist playfully.

"Aw, c'mon Jack," she pleaded. "You're good and you would have stopped if you'd known we were there."

"Yeah, I-I would have stopped! Because i-if I knew you two were there, I-I would have messed it up! Probably, probably several times!"

"Right. So we didn't tell you we were there and you didn't mess it up. Sounds fair to me," Ebony's hands clasped around each other, so that her arms encircled Jack's waist in a full circle he could not escape from. She looked up penitently into his deep brown eyes and said: "Forgive me?"

"Whatever," Jack sighed. "At least you weren't watching as well."

"Oh!" Ebony smiled and shook her head quickly. " Of course not. So why were you singing along? We didn't hear you join in with the one before it, although we only caught the end of it."

"Oh, uh, I-I always sing along with that song ... i-if no-one's watching, I mean. I-It just ... kinda ... stands out. Means something, y'know."

"Means what?"

"Oh, noth-nothing much."

"Aw, c'mon Jack! Tell me. It's not like I'm gonna tell the world, is it. I won't even tell Ruby, if it bothers you that much."

"Wh-why does it bother you that much?"

"I'm nosy."

"Fine," Jack sighed. "I-It reminds me of Ellie."

"Ellie?" Ebony pulled away a little in confusion.

"I-It reminds me how she treated me. H-How much she hurt me. Why, the next time Luke does a runner, I shouldn't just blindly take her back like last time!" There was anger mixed with the pain in Jack's voice as he spoke. "Happy now?"

"Yeah," Ebony replied, calmly, putting one hand on the side of Jack's face. "'cause next time you need reminding, I'll know how to remind you."

"Thanks," said Jack, moving one hand from the bar to place it gently on Ebony's bare arm as her other hand moved to his chest.

For a second, time seemed to stop. Perhaps it was just the fact that Ebony's heart was racing that made everything seem to move in slow motion, or maybe that's just how it is when you realise you're falling in love.

"My, my," said a voice from the other side of the bar. "Looks like Ruby's been hiring some new staff while we were away, boys."

Ebony let go of Jack and turned to face the newcomers.

"What are you boys having then?" she asked with a faked smile: if they had been Lex, she would have hit him.

"Well, how about a little somethin' sweet for starters, sugar?" The largest of the three men leered, leaning across the bar to get a better view.

Ebony never usually let guys like this make her nervous, but here she was out of her own territory, facing three adversaries, all much larger than her, and standing in front of Jack. She'd almost forgotten he was there when he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"Oh, look, boys! It's our old friend," the largest man laughed, dismissively. "The geek that likes stealing horses!"

"And pretty girls, by the look of things," one of his companions added.

"Yeah," the third replied. "Looks like his taste is gettin' better though!"

"As if," the first man sneered. "What's he got that gets him a girl like that?"

Jack's arm tightened around Ebony's waist. Ebony slid her hand over his, linking her fingers through his as she did so, and felt him relax a little.

"Come with us, sugar," the first man turned his attention back to Ebony. "I'll bet we can show you a much better time than that geek!"

"Huh!" Comments like that were at least something Ebony could deal with and, putting on her most seductive tones, she leaned forward in Jack's arms. "Oh, I very much doubt that!"

The three men looked disgruntled and backed off slightly. Ebony leaned back into Jack's chest. He put his head down to her ear. Ebony could feel the heat of his blushing face next to hers.

"D-Did you have to say that?" he whispered.

"I thought I barred you boys!" Ruby's voice echoed from the other end of the bar. "Now get out!"

"Service ain't that great here no more anyhow!" the first man grumbled as the three of them left.

Ebony let go of Jack's hand and turned to face him. His face was still scarlet. Ebony put one hand over her mouth and giggled. Then, when Jack sighed and looked away, she ran her fingers through his hair, turning his head to face her again.

"D-do you go out of your way to embarrass me or does it just come naturally?" Jack hissed, pulling her hand away. "This isn't some kind of game!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, still trying to suppress the giggles. "But there's not much else that guys of their kind understand."

"Yeah, they're still watching you two," Ruby commented as she cleaned up a bowl of dried fruit the three men had upset on their way out the door.

"Kiss me," Ebony whispered, with a conspiratorial air.

"What!" Jack replied.

"You heard. They think we're a couple! Now they're watching for some proof, so kiss me."

"B-But I-I ..."

"Give in, Jack," Ruby advised, "If nothing else it'll convince those guys and maybe they'll leave you alone."

"Wh-what do you mean, if nothing el ..." was all Jack managed to wonder before Ebony took matters into her own hands.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jack's arms flapped around in confusion for a moment or two until he remembered that he was supposed to be acting the part of Ebony's boyfriend. It wasn't as if she had kissed him for real, it was all part of an act to keep those guys away and, if he was being honest, he'd rather that then have to face the three of them. He loosely draped his arms around her, still a little abashed and afraid to touch her for some reason he could not explain to himself let alone anyone else should they ask, and tried to return her kiss.

Ruby watched from the end of the bar, laughing to herself. It was weird, she thought, they're total opposites, but they make such a great couple: Jack being so honestly confused, shy and hesitant and Ebony being, well just Ebony: impatient, unabashed and determined. If she didn't get her guy this way, she'd keep trying until he figured it out.

Even after all these thoughts had rambled through Ruby's head, the pair still stood there, Jack looking only slightly more at ease with the situation than he had previously, with one of Ebony's hands resting on his chest and the other on the back of his neck. Ruby glanced out of the saloon doors and saw that the three men had disappeared. She considered telling Jack and Ebony, and letting Jack escape, then thought better of it and quietly left.

A few moments later, the kiss ended. Ebony laughed and wiped her lipstick off Jack's mouth with one of the bar cloths. Jack leant back against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Ebony laughed.

"Oh, I-I'm fine," Jack replied, shakily, his face still showing the same pallor it had that morning. Even the sarcasm in his voice was less cutting than usual. "J-Just a mixture of that headache, the reappearance of three rather burly blokes I tried to knick a horse off and being jumped by you."

"I didn't "jump" you!" Ebony replied indignantly. "I did give you a fair warning."

"Yeah, w-well you'll be laughing on the other side of your face next time you look in a mirror!"

"Lipstick?"

"How'd ya guess? W-Wouldn't have anything to do with the mess of it on me, would it?"

"Something like that. I'll go fix it."

"And I think I'll go see what's for lunch. Other than me!"

Ebony smiled as she walked up the stairs. At least that sarcasm proved he didn't hate her: she wouldn't have got away laughing if he did.

Jack, meanwhile, wandered into the kitchen and slumped down on a stool near where Ruby was busily preparing some vegetables.

"Are you alright? Jack, you look terrible!" Ruby raised her eyebrows as she watched the pale-faced young man sitting staring off into space.

"I-I'm fine," Jack muttered in reply, turning his attention onto the vegetables. "D-D'you need a hand with anything?"

"Headache still bothering you?" Ruby looked Jack over critically: he did not look well at all. "Or is that just the effect Ebony has on guys?"

"Huh!" Jack laughed. "It's the headache. I-It is partly Ebony; but mostly, it's the headache."

"Okay, well, you could bring me in some water if you feel up to it?"

"L-Like a headache is gonna prevent me bringing in a bucket of water! The well is out back, right?"

"Yeah. End of the vegetable garden."

"I'll be right back."

Ruby laughed. Jack was the only person she knew that, when they were feeling under the weather, would rather work it off than curl up in bed being pampered! She finished chopping the vegetables and headed back to the bar just as Ebony was returning, her makeup once again perfect.

"Well?" Ruby questioned, settling herself on a stool, ready for gossip.

"Well what?" Ebony replied coyly, leaning on the bar.

"You know very well what! You didn't have to kiss him like that!"

"I did so!" Ebony replied, with mock indignation. "I had to put on a convincing show for the boys now, didn't I?"

"They weren't even there for most of it!"

"Well I couldn't know that, could I?"

"Well I guess not, being ever so slightly distracted! Now tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"Did he kiss you back? Was there any spark there? Come on, I am deprived of any form of gossip or girl talk out here; you are not gonna hold out on me with this!"

"Ha!" Ebony smirked. "Well, he did kiss me back."

"And?"

"And that's it. He only kissed me back to make it look real," Ebony's face fell slightly. "No other reason."

"He'll come round, honey."

"No, he won't. Not until he's over Ellie anyway and that won't be for a long time."

"Maybe. But you've gotta try. If you don't try, you'll never know."

"And if I let myself fall for him, then can't get him to love me back? Ruby, I don't want to go through that! I've been insane once, I don't want to risk my sanity on a guy!"

"Look to me like you're too late to worry about that: you've fallen already."

"I'll talk to him," Ebony murmured after a moment's thought. "See if I can find out what he's feeling."

"He's out getting water for me just now, if you want to go after him."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Ebony smiled a little and pushed herself up from the bar. "Strike while the iron is hot, as they say."

Just as Ebony turned to head out to the kitchen and back garden, the door swung in towards the bar and Slade rushed through, Jack's limp body in his arms.

"Slade!" Ruby cried, getting up from her stool.

"Jack!" Ebony screamed and rushed forward. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He's unconscious," Slade looked strangely at Ebony as he answered, then shifted his gaze to Ruby. "Those three guys we all know and love were beating him up. Out by the well. They ran for it when they heard the bike."

"He's room 29," Ruby told him, rushing past into the kitchen. "Top floor. Sorry. I'll get the first aid kit."

"Room 29," Slade mumbled. "Great!"

When Ruby joined Slade, Ebony and the still unconscious Jack in Jack's room, she had the first aid kit in one arm and a bucket of water in the other. She set them down by Slade.

"I'll go get the lunch sorted," she said, heading back to the door.

"Sure," Slade replied. "Ebony, go with her. I'll see to Jack."

"No, I wanna stay," Ebony whispered, tearfully. "It's my fault they went for him."

"I'm gonna have to clean his wounds. I think he would prefer it if you didn't watch this."

Slade's tone was gentle and persuasive. Ebony, looking up to Ruby and seeing her nod in agreement, nodded slowly and got to her feet. The two girls left the room together, Ruby's arm supporting Ebony's shoulders.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

About an hour later, Ebony was sent up to Jack's room with some bread and stew for Slade. She knocked on the door and waited for Slade to answer before entering the room. He took the bowl of stew and chunk of bread and went over to the desk to eat. Ebony sat down on the bed by Jack's side and ran her fingers through his hair and down the side of his face. Her thumb brushed over his lips, gently, willing them to move and kiss her hand. The breath that escaped those lips was faint, unsteady.

"I didn't know you two were together now," Slade said from the desk at the side of the room. "I'm sorry."

"We're not," Ebony replied, ruefully. "I followed him out of the mall and persuaded him to take me with him, out of the city and on to here. There's nothing more between us."

"But you wish there was?"

Ebony half smiled and nodded her head.

"They must have beaten him up real bad," she sighed, biting her lip to stop the tears.

"Yeah, they took their chance," Slade looked down at his stew for a moment then looked straight at Ebony. "But I don't think that's what's keeping him unconscious."

"What do you mean?" Ebony caught his look then frowned.

"While you were travelling," Slade replied, getting up and coming over to the bed, "did anything happen that could have caused this. Did Jack eat anything in the forest that you didn't eat? Did he get bitten by anything?"

"Not so far as I know. The only food he ate that I didn't came from the city. It might have been off, but I'm sure he wouldn't have eaten it if it were."

"And he didn't get bitten by anything. A snake perhaps?"

"There was a snake, yes," Ebony's brow creased, "but he said it didn't get him, it got his shirt."

"His shirt?"

"Yeah, he had it in one hand and when the snake went for him he caught it and threw it away. Why?"

"What hand was the shirt in?"

"Left, I think. Slade, what's wrong?"

"Look."

Slade picked up Jack's left arm, the one closest to himself and Ebony, and turned it over. Near the wrist, on the underside of the arm, were two parallel red scratches that had just broken the skin enough to ooze a little blood that had now dried. Ebony put her hand over her mouth to muffle a cry.

"I have to know, Ebony. When did this happen? What was the snake like? If I'm right, it's the snake venom that's got him in this state and if we don't get him the right medicine, he could die."

"B-But if it was the snake, how come it's only got to him now? It was yesterday morning that we came across it. Jack went to the river to wash and when I went looking for him he was face to face with it. If it had got him, surely it wouldn't take a full 24 hours to have any affect on him?"

"If it was only a scratch, it might. It would take time for the poison to work its way through the body. And it probably did start acting sooner, you just wouldn't notice it: a slight fever, maybe. Pale skin, headaches, dizziness. You wouldn't know what was causing them even if you did manage to spot all the symptoms. But I have to know now, what kind of snake was it? Can you describe it to me?"

"No, not really," Ebony's eyes filled with tears. "I was up the top of the rise. I could barely see it. I thought it was a twig until it moved."

"A twig? What colour? Green? Brown? A bit of both?"

"Brown."

"Right. Now how big a twig did you think it was? How thick? Was the head the same thickness as the snake's body?"

"No, it was thicker. The body was really thin. Less than a finger width."

"Okay. Is there anything else you can remember about it? Anything at all?"

"No. It was just a snake," Ebony began to panic. "He said he was fine! He said it didn't get him!"

"Hey, hey. It's alright. I'm gonna go and find some medicine for him. Then I'll come back and we'll give him the medicine and he'll be fine. Ebony, believe me: we're gonna get him through this."

"You know as well as I do, Slade. Things ain't that simple anymore. He's gonna die and it's all my fault because I can't remember what a stupid snake looks like!"

"He is not gonna die Ebony!" Slade grabbed Ebony's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "You have to believe that. You have to look after him while I'm away. You can't give up. Where there's life there's hope, right? And Jack's still alive. Until he is dead and gone you do not give up on him. Do you hear me?"

Ebony calmed down and nodded quietly. Slade rose and took his empty bowl.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone," he said, gently, as he walked to the door, "but I will be back. And I will bring some sort of medicine back with me."

Slade closed the door behind him and headed back downstairs. Ruby was in the bar, serving some new customers.

"How is he?" she asked.

"Pretty bad. He got a snake bite on the way here. It's only a scratch so it's taken its time to act, but if we don't get an anti-venom for him soon, he'll die."

"Does Ebony know?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't know just how short a time scale we're talking about here. Neither do I, for certain. I think I know what kind of snake it was, from what Ebony told me, but there's no way to be one hundred percent sure without trying the anti-venom. I know someone who might have some: his father kept all sorts of snakes. Problem is, it'll take a day to get there and another to get back, if he hasn't moved and if he has any left. Jack's only got three days at the most before he's past the point where, even if we did get him the right anti-venom, it would make the blindest bit of difference. He could have a lot less. I'd better get going."

"There's half a loaf on the kitchen table. Take it and some water and other stuff with you. The last thing we need is you dying of starvation on us now!"

"Sure thing," Slade leant across and, catching Ruby's face in his hands, kissed her on the lips, then left, calling back over his shoulder: "For luck."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

When the lunchtime rush finally subsided, and another of the girls from the town had arrived to help with the bar, Ruby was finally able to go up and check on Ebony and Jack.

"Skye, will you be okay on your own for a bit?" Ruby asked her barmaid. "I have to go check on some friends."

"Sure," the girl replied, pushing a strand of light blue hair and silver extensions behind her ear. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine. Well, no, not really. One of them's seriously ill, but Slade's gone to get him some medicine."

"Slade's back!" Skye's excitement was obvious

"Hands off, little girl! That man is all mine," Ruby cried as she walked to the stairs, "He doesn't know it yet, of course, but he is."

Ruby laughed a little as she climbed the stairs, but as her thoughts returned to the purpose of her climb, she became more pensive, more downcast. As she approached the door, she forced herself to appear calm, confident. She knew how precariously Jack's life hung in the balance. She knew how little time there was to save him. Ebony didn't. If she did, she might just give up on him. Right now, Jack needed all the support and strength they could give him. Without knocking, Ruby gently turned the handle and pushed the door open. Ebony sat on the edge of the bed, pressing a damp rag over Jack's forehead.

"The fever's getting worse," she said, her voice entirely devoid of feeling.

"Just keep treating the symptoms."

"He's not back yet, is he?" It was a statement more than a question.

"It's only been a few hours, Ebony. Give him time. He'll be back."

"Jack doesn't have time, Ruby!" When Ebony finally turned to face her friend, her voice becoming angrier as she did so, Ruby could see the tear stains down her face.

"You don't know that!"

"You don't know otherwise! What if Slade can't find the right medicine? What if he gets back here and we find out it's not the right one? What if something happens to him and he doesn't get back here?"  


"You can't think like that, Ebony!" Ruby put her hand on her friends arm as she spoke to her. "You have to be strong. For Jack. He needs you right now. Maybe he can't tell you that. Maybe he doesn't even know. But he does need you. You have to try. You have to keep him alive until Slade can get back here with the medicine to heal him."  


"Do you think I want him to die! I'd rather die myself than let him go! I love him, Ruby! What if I never get the chance to tell him that?"  


"You will. You never know," said Ruby as she rose to go, "they say hearing is the last thing to go. Maybe you should tell him now. Talk to him. It might help."  


"Help who? Me or him?"  


"Both of you, maybe. You, definitely."  


Ebony nodded and turned back to mopping Jack's forehead with the damp rag. Ruby closed the door gently behind her as she left and returned to the bar. Soon she would make a start on the evening meal.  


"She's right, you know," Ebony said, presently, to Jack's sleeping form. "All the doctors say that hearing is the last thing to go. They said it when my Mom died. They said it when my Dad died. The problem is, when they say that, they usually mean that everything else is already gone. I know Ruby ain't a doctor, but I'm praying that ain't what she means too. Come back to me, Jack. Please. Don't leave me here. I don't care where here is; if it's without you, it's nowhere."  


Ebony placed the rag back in the bucket of water and moved closer to the top of the bed. She lifted Jack's left hand in hers and kissed it, then kissed the two scratches on his wrist that were threatening, even now, to take him from her.  


"I love you," she whispered, tears welling up inside her and threatening to choke her. "Stay with me. Please."  


Ebony ran her free hand through Jack's hair. It was damp from the fever and the rag she'd been using to cool his forehead. Her hand ran down the side of his face and neck and, leaning forward gently, she brushed her lips against his, then sat back.  


"Why did you have to be so wonderful?" She sighed. "I was doing fine. Trying to find a way out of the city without risking my neck. Annoying the heck out of Amber and having fun doing so. Then you decided to leave and I saw my chance. I'd follow you, catch up with you and persuade you to take me with you. And I did. Everything went according to plan, for the first few hours. Then when we got chased by that bunch of crazies and I twisted my ankle. That's when things started to go wrong. We got stuck in a little hallway for a full 24 hours.  


You'd think with rats up the stairs and crazy people who want to kill me outside the door, I'd have been a little scared, but I wasn't. I wasn't even worried. I was curled up there, in a corner, listening to you talk about jazz and your parents and your brothers and what you were all like before the virus. I never realised there was so much I didn't know. I never even considered that there might be more to you than just computers. Heck, I didn't even know you could sing. But then, I don't suppose anyone knew that.  


You know, I've never really gotten into jazz. Never gave it a chance when I was younger, then, when the power went, I couldn't have if I'd wanted to. But there is nothing … Nothing! … That I would not give to hear you sing it again. I don't care if you mess it up. I don't care if you sound terrible, although I know you won't. It would mean you were alive. And if it means you're alive, there can't be anything bad about it."  


Ebony traced her fingertips across the top of Jack's chest: all that was visible above the covers. She smiled.  


"I remember, before Momma died, Java crying over some guy who had dumped her. Mom was telling her that he wasn't worth it. She said "Honey, the only guy worth crying over, is the one who won't make you cry". She was right, of course. She always was. I cried over Bray when he rejected me. I cried over Jay when he left me for Amber. Neither of them were worth it. That's what's different with you. That's what keeps that little witch running back to you every time her blue-haired boy leaves her in the lurch. You have never hurt her. You'd never hurt any woman, intentionally. You're honest. You're not a liar, like Zoot. You're not a cheat, like Jay. Ever since you let that lot into the Mall, Lex has teased you for not being enough like him. What does he know? You're worth ten of him. More than that, hundreds of him.  


Thing is though, I used to do the same. I dismissed you as the geek. The nerd who was only useful when something needed fixing. Or when something technical needed doing, like the raid on the power station. I never did say sorry for that, did I? I dropped you in it, big time. You were the Mall Rats' greatest weapon against the Technos and I helped take you out. I told them you'd be there and I made sure I was the only one with you. I knew you wouldn't get away. You're fast, but I think Mouse is possibly a better fighter. Plus, they had their lasers if they needed them.  


Then of course, that mad witch figured out that I'd had something to do with your being taken. I don't know if she really knew anything or if she just wanted someone to blame, but she nearly took me out because of it. Funny, if she had, you might not be lying here.  


See, if she'd managed to kill me. I would never have caused the city all the trouble I did. Even if things had turned out the same, and you had decided to leave, I still wouldn't have been there to follow you. Without me following you, those crazies might not have noticed you and you would have been able to make it out of the city and on to here in one day, without having to stop and get bitten by a snake."  


Ebony laughed slightly at this as the tears started to fall once more.  


"Or the crazies might have caught him unawares and he might already be dead," said Ruby from the doorway. "You can't fill your life with what ifs Ebony. There are just too many of them. Here, I brought you some food."  


"Thanks, but I'm not that hungry."  


"Take it. Eat it. We don't need you making yourself sick too."  


Ebony took the dish that was held out to her. Looking outside, she saw that the sun was setting. She looked back at Jack and placed her hand on his chest. It rose and fell only slightly, but enough to give her some hope.  


"I take it Slade's not back yet."  


"Not yet, but he will be."  


"How long do you think he's got?" She asked, caressing Jack's cheek.  


"I don't know, Ebony."  


"I could lose him, couldn't I?"  


"There are lots of things that "could" happen," said Ruby, putting her hand on Ebony's shoulder. "That doesn't mean they will."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13  
**

Ruby left Ebony, after making sure she ate her food, with the promise of sending up one of her barmaids with a fresh bucket of water and a proper sponge and towel. When she had gone, Ebony returned her attention to Jack. His fever still burned and his skin was deathly pale. He lay still, too still for Ebony's liking. She held her palm over his mouth and was relieved to feel his breath, slow and weak, but there, against her skin. He seemed to be getting weaker, though. She checked his wrist for a pulse and couldn't find one: it was too weak. Ebony had to put her head to his chest to hear his heart beat painfully slowly. If he kept weakening like this, Slade wouldn't make it back in time. Even if he made it back by morning, he might be too late.

"Hold on, Jack," Ebony said, softly, her hand resting on the side of Jack's face. "Slade'll be back soon. Just hold on until he gets here. There's strength in you, I know there is. More than there is in me. You can beat this. Just hold on. Please."

Just then, there was a gentle tap on the door and the door was pushed open. A girl with chin length, vibrant blue hair that matched her fitted t-shirt walked through the door. In one hand she held a sponge and towel, in the other she held a bucket filled with fresh water from the well. Ebony could see where water from the bucket had slopped over the lower parts of the girls dark purple leather bell-bottoms.

"Hi," the girl said, pausing to catch her breath. "I'm Jetta. Ruby sent me up with water for your man."

"He's not my man, he's my friend," Ebony commented, with an air of sadness.

"Sorry, Ruby just said "take these to Jack and Ebony, room 29," Jetta shrugged, "I just kinda assumed. I think she was kinda angry, I was late and there was trouble in the bar when I did get here."

"It's okay. Thanks for the water."

Jetta walked over and put the water down by the bed. Leaving the towel and sponge in the bedside table, she picked up the other bucket. Catching Jack's sleeping figure out of the corner of her eye, Jetta looked down at him, frowned, then smiled quickly at Ebony.

"He's cute. I hope he gets better soon," she said, then left hurriedly.

Jetta hurried down the stairs as fast as she could with the heavy bucket. Disposing of the water over the vegetable garden, she hurried back to her place behind the bar with Skye. Ruby was busy getting rid of some unwanted clientele. Jetta served a few waiting customers, but as soon as the queue at the bar had died down she turned to her fellow blue-haired friend.

"Skye," Jetta hissed, attempting to avoid drawing Ruby's attention to the conversation, "You will not believe who we've got upstairs ..."

--------------------------------

Slade had travelled non-stop since he had left Liberty. Now he was getting hungry. He pulled the bike over at a suitable spot and retrieved some of the food Ruby had given him. Sitting down to eat, he could see the sun setting in front of him. It was getting late and time was of the essence. He would have to travel through the night. If he did, he should reach his destination before sunrise, then it was just a matter of finding his friend. Packing up again, he checked over his bike while the light lasted and then resumed his journey.

--------------------------------

Ebony lit some candles and endeavoured to keep vigil by Jack's bedside. The sun was setting, its last rays falling through the westernmost window and reflecting down from a well-placed mirror onto the top of the bed. The golden light made Jack's face look warmer and more alive than it had done, but as the sun slipped behind the horizon, Ebony knew it was only a trick of the light. The flickering candle flames now lit the room alone. Ebony yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, and settled back and watched the dancing patterns of light fall across Jack's face. She thought back to Jetta's odd reaction when she caught sight of Jack's face. It had been almost as if she'd recognised him. She'd tried to cover it up, but Ebony was sure there was something that she was hiding.

Someone rattled the adjoining door between Ebony and Jack's rooms. Ebony jumped up out of her reverie and picking up one of the candles, approached the door. The bolt had been moved across on Jack's side, preventing the door opening. Ebony drew the bolt back and opened the door suddenly, hoping to startle the intruder. The intruder, however, turned out to be Ruby. Ebony sighed in relief.

"You scared me," she said.

"I thought you'd have kept this door open?" Ruby replied. "So you could get to him quickly if anything happened."

"I can get to him quicker if I'm in the same room."

"You need to sleep. I'll take the first watch. I never sleep until late anyway. Go on, I'll wake you if anything happens."

Ebony stifled a yawn. Ruby raised her eyebrows and ushered Ebony into her own room.

"I won't sleep," Ebony protested.

"Yes, you will," Ruby replied, sternly. "You are exhausted, Ebony. Physically and mentally. You have to sleep now. He'll be all right. If he gets worse, or if he wakes up, I'll wake you immediately. It's better that he has someone else look after him for a while. Someone who isn't so tired."

Ebony nodded and yawned again. Her body was tired, but as she lay down to sleep, all her worries came flooding back to her. She found herself looking back over the past three days at all the little things that had slowly changed her mind about boy she had almost killed six months ago. The boy who had helped her see through her madness. Even then she had dismissed him as another goody two shoes Mall Rat, too proud to admit that without him then, she probably wouldn't alive today.

_"Why have you brought one of them here?" Ebony demanded from her eldest sister, Java._

"He is a disbeliever and a threat," Java replied smoothly. "Not only that, but he is the source of the disbelievers. Zoot wants him disposed of."

"Then why hasn't Zoot told me this himself? " Ebony argued. "I am his queen. Why would he keep something like this from his queen? You have brought this Mall Rat here and now he knows what the inside of our base looks like. He may have been a nuisance before, now he really is a threat!"

"Perhaps he didn't tell you because you failed him last time," Java's voice was a smooth as honey. "You had your chance to kill Jay and you let him go. Against Zoot's wishes. He doesn't trust you against the Mall Rats alone now: you became too much like them. He wants me to make sure you do this properly. Now are you going to fail him again, or are you going to get rid of this Mall Rat?"

Ebony sighed and picked up the knife her sister offered her.

"I won't fail him again," she said, harshly.

In one of the old classrooms, Siva sat with their latest prisoner. She had hoped Java's guards would leave her and Jack alone so that she could get him out somehow, but they hadn't. They had been told to watch this prisoner carefully.

"Why," Jack asked, "i-is it always me?"

"You're just too clever for your own good, Jack!" Siva tried to sound sarcastic for the guards benefit, but her voice shook.

"Wh-what are they planning? Do you ... um ... do you know what they're gonna do to me?"

Siva looked away and bit her lip. Jack nodded and hung his head.

"Ah," he said, in recognition of Siva's silence, then looked up to see her trying to hide tears from the guards. "Hey, i-it's not your fault, right. Y-you didn't know this was gonna happen."

Siva tried to smile. Jack had spoken so quietly that she was sure the guards wouldn't have heard his words. She had wanted to hurt Lex by joining with her sisters. She hadn't realised that it would go this far. She hadn't realised that it would mean the death, the execution, of a guy she'd only heard of. Yet all the while she was beating herself up inside for thinking "Thank the Lord it wasn't Lex!". She regained her composure and dried her tears. A few moments later, the door opened and Java and Ebony walked in. Ebony was holding a knife.

"Ready to die, disbeliever?" Java snarled.

"Well, I've had plenty practice at these moments!" Jack quipped.

Ebony laughed and walked forward. She tilted Jack's head up with the tip of the knife and looked straight into his eyes.

"Why don't you believe in Zoot, Jack?" Ebony asked, never taking her eyes off him for a second, "You've met him since he returned to us. What more does it take to convince you?"

"I don't believe in Zoot, Ebony, because he's not real," Jack spoke slowly, aware of the knife at his throat. "It wasn't Zoot that I "met", it was an impersonator. Some guy called Darryl. I was there when Zoot died, Ebony. You can't raise people from the dead."

"More's the pity for you, isn't it?" Java laughed from behind her sister.

"Y-You don't even know what's real anymore!" Jack said to Ebony, never once breaking her gaze. "Y-You can't even see that you're being tricked; b-being played for a fool!"

"NEVER call me a fool, Jack!" Ebony shouted, pressing the flat of blade closer to his throat.

"'Cause it's gonna make my situation so much worse!"

"You're not dead yet!"

"No, I'm not, am I."

"What does that mean?" Ebony drew back a little.

"Well, i-if this is the will of your almighty Zoot, why am I still here, t-talking to you?" Jack saw Ebony flinch as he spoke and a look of confusion passed over her face. "See, I don't think this was your idea, s-sorry, Zoot's idea. I think it was Java's and you don't want to go along with it."

"Why would Java want you out of the way?" Ebony laughed. "You are nothing to her."

"Oh I don't know! M-Maybe because she's the one fooling you and I'm the one that can prove it!"

"Go on then," Siva said, suddenly. "Prove it. If you can, you live. If you can't, you don't. Simple deal."

"Sounds fair," said Ebony as she drew back a pace and sheathed the knife.

"Ebony, what_ are you doing? Zoot wants him dead."_

"If that's the case Java," Siva smiled, "then you've nothing to worry about."

_  
_He had, of course, proved Java's tricks were nothing more than just that: tricks. Tricks designed to help her manipulate Ebony and Siva. If it hadn't been for Siva, Ebony thought, Jack would have been dead and, most likely, so would she. He had been right with his theories on the appearances of Zoot, but he had also been right about something else: she hadn't wanted to go through with it. She would only have killed him if she had been afraid of Zoot. Remove that fear and there was no way she could have taken the lives of any Mall Rat, even the ones she didn't like. For all that Trudy annoyed her, Lex infuriated her, or any of the others got on her nerves, or for all that she loathed Amber, they were all part of the tribe that had, more than once, taken her in to their home and at least tried to make her welcome. It was just bad luck that the only one she respected was the one she had almost had to kill: Jack was the only one with any brains.

Ebony woke with a start. Her reminiscence had become a dream and her dream had turned into a nightmare. She still got them occasionally. She probably always would. This time she had heard Zoot's voice telling her that she had failed him again and now this would be her punishment. A movement through the open door between the two rooms caught her eye and Ebony looked round quickly. Ruby had got up and had one hand on Jack's throat, checking his pulse. She seemed to have some difficulty finding it. Jack's head moved to one side and Ruby jumped and looked round to the door to call Ebony. Ebony caught her look and bit her lip in an effort to stop the tears falling, but they still fell.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

  
Ebony rushed to Jack's bedside.

"Ruby, what's happening?" she cried, kneeling by the side of the bed and gabbing Jack's arm.

"It's okay, Ebony," Ruby said soothingly. "It's not as bad as all that. It's just the fever shifting. He's waking up."

"Oh!" Ebony became very quiet for a moment, then smiled and got to her feet, sitting down again on the side of the bed. "So, he's gonna be okay then, right? I mean, if he's waking up…"

Jack's head moved again and the girls glanced down at him before returning their gaze to each other.

"Don't get your hopes up, Ebony: his fever is still there, it's just affecting him differently. People often slip in and out of comas in these situations. Slade said something like this might happen. He'll probably be delirious for a while, then slip back into a coma for a while."

"So, he could still die?"

"If Slade doesn't get his ass back here with that anti-venom soon, then yes."

Ebony bit her lip and looked down at Jack. He no longer looked like he was sleeping peacefully: instead, he looked plagued by nightmares. Jack's brow creased as his head turned yet again. With her hand on his arm, Ebony could feel his muscles tense as whatever madness took hold of him. When, in the midst of his fever-induced nightmare, Jack started thrashing around, it took both of the girls to hold him down on the bed.

"No … No … Don't go …" Jack muttered snatches of phrases, his voice rising to a shout as he fought against the two girls holding him down, "Let me … Let me go … Have to … have to get … get her out …"

"Pretty strong for a computer geek!" Ruby winced as Jack's arm hit her side.

"Ellie! … No!" Jack shouted, then fell back onto the bed as the nightmare passed.

"I'll watch him now," Ebony said, "Go get some sleep, Ruby. You've got a saloon to run!"

"He'll probably just sleep now: his body's just burnt up a lot of energy it didn't really have spare. If you need me, my room's opposite this one, so just give me a shout. I'll look in again when I get up."

"Sure," Ebony nodded, letting her eyes linger on Jack's face for a moment before turning to catch Ruby just before she left, "Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby smiled, wearily, and left. Ebony turned her gaze back on Jack.

"If you're gonna hit someone, does it really have to be the person running the place you're staying at for free?" she smiled.

Getting up and moving round to the other side of the bed, Ebony picked up the sponge in the water bucket and squeezed it out a little. When she turned back to Jack, she saw a shaft of moonlight reflected from the mirror onto Jack's pale torso. Most of his chest lay bare, the covers having been flung back during the struggle. A bright white line across Jack's upper abdomen was clearly visible and Ebony stopped to race the line with her finger. It was a scar. It looked like the kind one might get from an operation, but it was missing the familiar stitches scars, that would surely have accompanied any operation cut of such a size, and slid round in a smooth curve as if someone had swiped a white highlighter pen across Jack's body. It was the kind of scar you get from an attacker's knife.

The next morning, Ruby looked in as she had promised and found Ebony dabbing Jack's forehead with the sponge as if the events of the night before had been no more than a bad dream. Promising Ebony some breakfast, Ruby headed downstairs: first into the bar and then the adjoining kitchen. Yawning as she opened the kitchen door, Ruby didn't spot her intruder until the door shut again behind her.

"Jetta!" Ruby was surprised and caught off guard by the early presence of her barmaid. "Wh-what are you doing here so early?"

"I got thrown out of my digs," Jetta shrugged. "Landlady didn't like Hope's crying."

"Well, what does she expect," Ruby cooed over the infant in Jetta's arms. "I would be crying too if my Mommy had to go and leave me with that witch to earn some money."

"I dread to think how she treated her when I wasn't there," Jetta sighed.

"I don't know why you didn't just bring her in here: it's not as if this place is _that_ busy, apart from meal times."

"Well, actually Ruby," Jetta started, seeing a good opening point for her question. "I was kinda hoping I could stay here for a while? Just until I find somewhere else."

"Room 28 is free," Ruby sighed, "It's right next door to mine. Once you're settled, you can come down here and help me with breakfast."

"Thanks, Ruby." Jetta gathered up her bags and her baby and hurried up the stairs.

When Jetta and her daughter returned to the kitchen, they found Ruby stirring a pot of porridge. After clearing up for a bit, the two girls fell into baby-oriented conversation.

"So," Ruby began, wiping down the work top. "You never did tell me what happened to Hope's father? Is he still around?"

"He went back to the city before I even knew about Hope," Jetta shrugged. "It was a one time thing."

"What happened? If he's from the city, how'd you meet?"

"Oh, uh, it's a long story."

"Ya got something better planned for the day? It's not like the bar will be busy for hours!"

"I'd better just take Ebony some breakfast."

"Jetta!" Before Ruby could say anything else, Jetta was gone.

Jetta knocked on the door to Jack's room and pushed it open. Ebony got up to take the porridge out of Jetta's hands then noticed Hope.

"Oh, she's gorgeous!" Ebony cooed. "Is she yours?"

"Yeah. Her name's Hope. She's just over a year old: a real handful!"

"Where's her father? Shouldn't he be looking after her while you work?"

"Oh," Jetta laughed a little. "No. All the family this little girl has is right in this room."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean ..."

"It's okay. It was never anything serious: just a one night thing, you know?"

"Does he know?"

"No," Jetta shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I'd better get going. Ruby or I will be back up for the bowl."

"Okay," Ebony frowned a little. She wondered if she should try to get more information out of the cagey barmaid, but then thought better of it: it wasn't her business anyway.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15  
**

The remainder of the morning passed without incident. Jack stirred in feverish dreams as Ebony watched over him, but didn't wake up or cry out. Jetta and Ruby took turns entertaining Hope downstairs, Ruby trying to pick her moment to question Jetta further about Hope's father. Eventually, as they were preparing the midday meal, her chance arrived.

"She has beautiful eyes," Ruby commented as she picked up Hope to hand her to her mother.

"She gets them from her father," Jetta answered, automatically, with maternal pride. "He had the most amazing eyes."

"What was he like?"

"Sweet. Really sweet," Jetta's voice grew wistful.

"So, if he's so sweet, why did he leave you? That doesn't seem the kinda thing nice guys do."

"It was complicated. There was someone else. A girl in the city," Jetta looked away, momentarily. "He didn't know if she would wait on him, or if she was even still alive, but he had to find out. He had to know. So he went back."

"If he had someone else he was planning on going back to, why'd he end up in your bed?"

"Ah, well, that um," Jetta blushed, profusely, "that was more my fault than his."

Ruby's eyebrows raised, questioningly.

"He, um, he was drunk. I wasn't," Jetta bit her lip, waiting for the next question, but Ruby just folded her arms and waited for explanation. "I kinda took advantage. A little. Okay, maybe a lot."

"How come he was drunk and you weren't?" Ruby asked, tentatively.

"I was fixing up a wound he'd got. It's not as if there was any other anaesthetic around. I had to use the alcohol to clean the wound and I knew it would hurt like hell. Plus he was already in pain. It's no walk in the park getting a blade slashed half-way across your body! He was lucky it was a clean cut and not too deep!"

"Still," Ruby let the comment hang in the air and turned to stir the stew.

"Shall I put some music on? I think you said you'd got the jukebox fixed."

"Yeah," Ruby answered without looking up form the stew. "Jack fixed it and the karaoke system. He set it up so you don't need the old coins for it. Just select a track and hit the button and it puts it into the play list."

"Okay," Jetta answered and left her friend to mull over the information she'd been after all morning.

When Ruby took Ebony a bowl of stew and some bread, Jack was sleeping peacefully, the covers pulled back up to the top of his chest. Ruby asked if there was any change and offered to sit with him for a while. Ebony refused to leave Jack's side, but accepted Ruby's company for a while and the girls sat and chatted. The conversation revolved around Hope. Ruby was conservative in the details she passed on to Ebony. Jetta hadn't told her to keep the story to herself, but it wasn't the kind of thing you passed on to someone who had only met the girl the night before. Gradually the conversation moved onto other topics and soon, it was time for Ruby to return downstairs to make a start on the evening meal.

When Ruby reached the bar, she heard the sound of music still coming from the back room. Alongside the backing music, she could hear Skye's high voice singing along. The track was "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-las and she sounded like she was having fun so Ruby left her and manned the bar herself. When Jetta emerged from the kitchen, heading to check on Hope, whom she'd left with Skye, Ruby suggested they switch places and headed off to finish preparing the meal, leaving Jetta in charge of the bar.

Once the evening meal was ready, and Skye had finished singing for the time being, Ruby sent Jetta up with a meal for Ebony while she served the other customers. Skye watched the bar and Hope. When Jetta pushed the door open, Ebony looked up.

"Hi," Jetta said, cheerfully. "I brought you some food."

"Thanks, "Ebony replied, smiling a little. "Listen, could you sit with him a minute for me, Jetta? I gotta visit the little girls room, y'know."

"Oh," Jetta was caught off guard. "Sure. Whatever."

"I'll be back soon."

Once Ebony had gone, Jetta put the tray of food down on the dresser and walked over to Jack's bedside. She hovered tentatively at his side before sitting down on the side of the bed and scrutinising his face.

"It is you, isn't it," she breathed, more stating a fact than asking a question. "What the heck am I meant to do when you wake up? Your daughter and I are staying right across the hall!"

She reached out and placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beat, slowly, steadily, but weakly. She could lose him again: he could slip away at any time. That would uncomplicate things certainly, but she would rather have the dilemma than that. She leant forward, gently, and brushed his lips with her own. She sat back and raised his hand to rest it against her cheek, closing her eyes and casting her mind back to when she'd known him almost two years ago.

"Jetta?"

Jetta gasped and let go of Jack's hand, but it stayed right where it was on her cheek. She looked at him, awake, looking at her with unfocussed eyes.

"Is it you?" Jack whispered, breathlessly. "It can't be!"

Jack's eyes closed for a second then opened again. He ran his thumb over Jetta's blue painted lips. She turned her face into his hand and kissed his palm. Jack withdrew his hand and let it fall to the bed. Once again, his deep, dark eyes closed and opened, then closed again and stayed closed. Jetta started, then put her hand on his chest to feel for a heart beat. It was there and Jack's chest rose and fell slowly. He was asleep again. Jetta turned away from him and stared at the floor. Just then Ebony returned and took her tray of food from the dresser.

"Thanks," she said. "Did anything happen when I was out?"

"No," Jetta replied, with a hesitant smile. "Nothing at all."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16  
**

When Ruby came in to relieve Ebony, she found her friend sleeping, her head bowed onto her chest and her hand resting on Jack's. Ruby touched Ebony's shoulder and the girl awoke with a start.

"Is he okay?" Ebony asked.

"He's sleeping," Ruby replied, placing her hand on Jack's forehead. "The fever's passing, but I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one."

"He's been quiet all day," Ebony stifled a yawn. "A few mutterings here and there, but that's all."

"Go and get some sleep now: I'll take the night watch."

"What about the Saloon?"

"Jetta's here now: she can cope with the breakfasts and Skye's agreed to come in to help with the lunches and dinners."

"But you've been working all day."

"That just means I could do with some time to think," Ruby said, dragging Ebony to her feet and shoving her through the open door into her own room. "Now go and get some sleep!"

"Ruby?"

"What."

"I was wondering: do you know anywhere I could get some new clothes?"

"We'll have some in the store cupboard, just down the end of the hall. There's quite a range of sizes. You know me: never throwing anything away. You'll probably find some stuff in there that'll fit you. Planning a change of image?"

"Yeah, well. These clothes are the old me. I want to show people I've changed. Start over, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know. Look, if you need make-up, just see what you can find in the stores and in my stuff in my room: I think that's where most of it is now. But worry about it tomorrow: right now, you need to sleep."

"Okay, okay. I'm going!"

Ebony half closed the door behind her and headed to bed. Within minutes, she was asleep. It wasn't until Ruby was quite sure her friend was sound asleep, however, that she got up, moved round to Jack's left side and gently pulled the covers back a little. Holding her candle over the boy's body, Ruby could clearly make out the telltale scar that ran, as Jetta had said, half-way across his body.

"Oh boy," Ruby breathed. "I was afraid of that!"

She replaced the covers and moved back round to the chair at Jack's right hand side.

"Well," she sighed. "Looks like you're in for a bit of a shock when you wake up! Guys fighting over girls is bad enough, but girls over a guy? That's a whole other ball game! Especially where Ebony's concerned! Trust me on that one!"

She leant forward and felt Jack's wrist for a pulse. It was there, but it was slow and weaker that it had been before: the fever was going, but the coma returning.

"If you wake up," Ruby added, sadly.

In the next room Ebony slept soundly. Again the dreams returned.

_Ebony walked down the corridor of the old school. She stopped first by her eldest sister's door and looked in: Java was asleep and snoring loudly, as she always had when they were younger. Walking further down the corridor, Ebony looked in at Siva's door: she too was asleep, and probably dreaming of happier times with Lex. Ebony moved onwards down a flight of steps then the next corridor. The guards were asleep, as she had expected, but she could have dealt with them anyway. She gently opened the door to the room they guarded. Stepping inside, quietly, she closed the door again behind her: careful not to make any more noise than was absolutely necessary. The single occupant of the room was asleep also, his head bowed onto his chest.  
_

"_This is it," Ebony whispered to herself, nervously, "this is the test."  
_

_She had listened, earlier that day, to every word Jack had said. It had all made sense. It had all fitted in with what she herself had been beginning to believe. The only thing she had to know now was whether Jack himself was real. She didn't know whom she could trust: it could be either sister playing tricks on her. If Jack was real, then it was Java. If he was just another computer image, then it was Siva. Both sisters knew of Jack and could easily get his details out of the Techno computer systems, but neither knew him as well as Ebony did. She knew how he would react to the test she had in mind, but she doubted if either of her sisters would.  
_

_Jack awoke with a start as he felt the hand over his mouth. He looked up to see Ebony's face. She raised a finger to her lips, the knife he had seen earlier in her hand, then removed her hand from his mouth.  
_

"_Don't move," Ebony warned him, hoping her tone was threatening enough, "or I will use the knife this time."  
_

_She tilted his face up towards hers, then leant down to kiss him. Their lips touched briefly before Jack pulled away from her.  
_

"_I told you not to move," Ebony said, mildly amused.  
_

"_W-Well, what did you expect me to do?"_

"Exactly what you just did, if you were real."  


_Ebony stood back triumphantly, sliding the knife back into its sheath as she did so.  
_

"_I thought you said you were gonna use that?" Jack asked, watching her.  
_

"_I did," Ebony laughed, "Check your hands, Jack: you're free."  
_

"_What? … B-But why?" Jack looked at his hands in confusion.  
_

"_Java has all men down as cowards, only on their own side," Ebony explained, sitting down next to Jack, "Siva, I think, has men in general down as Lex, for the time being anyway. If either of them had programmed you …"  
_

"_I wouldn't have moved," Jack finished, realisation dawning.  
_

"_I know you better."  
_

"_So you believe me?" Jack asked, rubbing his wrists where the rope had cut into them.  
_

"_Yeah, I do. I just don't know what to do about it."  
_

"_Come back to the mall with me. If the city sees that you believe it was a trick, they'll come back to us."  
_

"_I can't." Ebony shook her head and helped Jack to his feet. "If I go now, Siva will get it in the neck, probably literally if I know Java! I have to bring this down from the inside, or at least get my sister out first. Besides, if I suddenly turn against Java, she'll find a way to use it against me: she's good at that. No, I have to stay here. Let her think her tricks are working. Problem is, I don't know how to tell whether what I see is real or not. It's different with you and Zoot: I know that you're definitely real and I know he's definitely dead, but anything else?" Ebony sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "It's just guesswork."  
_

"_Th-there has to be something about you that Java can't program: a-a mole or a birthmark or, or something that she might not know is there?"  
_

"_She's my big sister!" Ebony rolled her eyes.  
_

"_Okay, um, a tattoo, a-a scar: anything like that?"_

"Nope. Although …"

"What?"

"Here," Ebony handed Jack the knife and started unlacing the shoulder strap of her top.  


"_Wh-What are you doing?"  
_

"_I don't have a scar, but that doesn't stop me getting one, right?"  
_

"_I-I am _not_ gonna cut you!"  
_

"_Then I'll do it. It's not like either of us has come up with any better ideas! Give me the knife."  
_

"_No way!"  
_

"_Jack!"  
_

"_No! Why should you have to hurt yourself for this to work?"  
_

"_Because, if I don't find some way of telling what's real and what's not, I _might_ just go insane!"  
_

"_Shh," Jack dropped the knife and awkwardly took the terrified girl in his arms, "You're not gonna go insane. It's just … there must be another way, that's all. We just have to find it. You'll get through this, I promise."  
_

_Ebony stayed, for a moment, in Jack's tentative embrace. She didn't want to move: he was the one thing she knew was real. Eventually, however, she pulled herself away from him.  
_

"_Come on," she said, fixing the lacing of her top. "Let's get you out of here before they all wake up."  
_

"_You're sure you won't come with me? We could take Siva too?"  
_

"_No, I have to stay. But you could take Siva. Java will blame her for your escape, so it's better she's gone too. Follow me: we'll get her."  
_

_Together they had walked up to Siva's room on the next floor. Jack had commented on the sleeping guards, to which Ebony had replied that Java wasn't the only sister who knew about sleeping draughts! When the reached the room, they stepped inside quickly, Jack closing the door, quietly, behind him. Ebony shook her sister awake.  
_

"_Ebony?" Siva looked confused for a second. "Jack? What's going on?"  
_

"_Siva, get your stuff together and go back to the mall with Jack," Ebony told her sister calmly. "Hurry, it's nearly dawn."  
_

"_What about you?"  
_

"_Don't worry about me, I can look after myself."  
_

"_But Ebony …"  
_

"_No, Siv, listen to me: I have to stay here, bring Java down. As long as she thinks she's got me where she wants me, we have the upper hand. I have to keep up the charade, just a little longer. Now go."  
_

_Siva got up and started getting her stuff together. As she did so, Jack spotted the make-up case and had an idea. He picked up one of Siva's eyeliners.  
_

"_E-Ebony, come here," he said, quietly.  
_

"_What is it?" Ebony asked, walking over to him.  
_

"_Here," Jack replied, edging the shoulder part of her top to one side and drawing a cross on her skin before slipping the top back to hide the mark. "X marks the spot, right?"  
_

"_Right," Ebony smiled._

Ebony woke up, still smiling. It was dawn. She got up and looked through the door. Ruby was still there and still awake, watching over Jack. Ebony turned and headed out the main door to her room and down the hall: It was time for a change.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Please make sure that you have read chapter 15 before reading on. Chapters 15 and 16 went up together and some people seem to have missed it out and gone straight to 16. If you do not read chapter 15, as well as the rest, before continuing, parts of this chapter will not make sense.**

**Thanks to my faithful readers and reviewer. You are much appreciated. Everyone please let me know what you think.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

When the door between Ebony and Jack's room finally opened, Ruby looked round wearily.

"Wow!" Ruby exclaimed. "You look... Different!"

Ebony was dressed in grey hipster bootleg trousers, which had slits up the sides, with a pastel pink off the shoulder top, which laced up the back and showed off Ebony's midriff. The familiar flame design and bandit band had gone, replaced instead by a silver and pink heart design like Siva's, and Ebony's eyes were lined with grey eyeliner and pale pink shadow. Her bright red lipstick had also been replaced by clear lip gloss. The braids had been taken out and Ebony's blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail with another lock of hair and a band with a pink, fabric camellia on it. She looked entirely different.

"This is all for him, isn't it?" Ruby asked, nodding at Jack. "Look, Ebony, even if he does wake up, don't get your hopes up too high."

"Y-you don't like it?" Ebony queried, biting her lip.

"Oh, yeah, it suits you. And I'm sure Jack will think the same, but ..."

"But what?"

"Look, Ebony, things are a little more complicated than you might think."

"In what way?"

"I can't tell you that right now, just trust me: don't try and monopolise him once he wakes up. Give him time."

"Of course I will. It's not like he's suddenly going to wake up and be right as rain, now is it?"

"No. No, I suppose not. Well, I think I'll turn in for the day. If I'm not awake before tea time, come and wake me up."

"Okay."

Once Ruby had left, Ebony settled down to watch over the sleeping boy. He wasn't the only reason for her massive image overhaul, but he was the main one.

Later that day, Jetta was making herself busy with the lunches as Skye watched the bar and Hope. Ruby was still fast asleep upstairs and it had been a fairly quiet morning. The sound of a motorbike brought Jetta through from the kitchen. As she lifted her daughter out of Skye's arms, Slade came racing into the saloon, followed by a girl dressed in purple and green, with silver here and there, glinting in the midday sunlight. The girl carried an old wooden box by it's handle, as if it were a bag.

"Jetta," Slade called as the girl came hurrying over. "Do you know which room my friend Jack's in? He was ill before I left: is he still alive?"

"As far as I know, yes, he's alive," Jetta replied. "He's in room 29 still."

"Good girl. This is Aeryn, she's here to help. Take her up to Jack. I'll get the rest of our stuff sorted out."

Jetta did as she was asked, carrying Hope in one arm as she led Aeryn up the stairs.

"What's in the box?" Jetta asked.

"Medicines, medical tools, herbs and, most importantly, anti-venom. We think we know which one we need, but there's not much choice anyway."

"The room's just along here," Jetta said as they entered the corridor. "I thought Slade was bringing back a guy?"

"Hmm. My brother. They've known each other a long time. But his wife was having a baby, so I came instead. Don't worry, my father taught us both well before he died."

"Who are you?" said a voice from the end of the corridor.

"Oh, um, Ruby, this is Aeryn," Jetta made the introduction. "She came back with Slade. She's here to save Jack."

"Well, I 'm here to try anyway," Aeryn corrected her.

"It's just in here," Ruby walked across the hall to the opposite door, pulling her dressing gown around her, and entered the room, followed by Aeryn and Jetta, with Hope.

Ebony looked round and the situation was explained to her. As Aeryn was taking Jack's pulse, Slade entered the room.

"What's this?" Slade whispered in Ruby's ear. "Having a lie in were we?"

"I sat up with him last night, Slade," Ruby replied. "Now is not the time for joking around."

Ruby turned her attention back to Aeryn as she injected the anti-venom into Jack's arm. The boy stirred, but didn't wake. Ebony let out a panicked sob.

"Why isn't he waking up?" Ebony cried. "Shouldn't he be waking up?"

"No," Aeryn replied, gently. "Not yet. It'll take time for the anti-venom to work. The snake venom has had plenty time to get a hold on him."

"But he will wake up?"

"We'll just have to wait and see. Why don't you go down and have something to eat? I'll sit with him from now on."

"No, I don't want to leave him," Ebony protested, but Aeryn held up a hand.

"I'm here now, and I work better without distractions," she said. "The time will pass quicker if you eat. You can do nothing else for him but make sure that you are fed and watered before he wakes up. He will need constant attention once that happens."

Ebony nodded. Ruby jumped as Slade put his head down on her shoulder. She had been so intent upon watching Jetta's reactions, that she hadn't noticed him wrap his arms around her. Jetta had been standing, hugging her daughter to her, forgotten by all but Ruby. Now she turned to leave, following Ebony past Slade and Ruby, out of the door.

"Well, I'm going back to bed for a bit," Ruby announced, leaving the room with Slade following her.

"Um, Ruby?" Slade murmured sheepishly.

"What is it?" Ruby sighed, resting one hand on the door of her room.

"I was just wondering if there was any chance of a bed for the night?"

"What's wrong with your own room?"

"I saw the place was full, so I gave it to Aeryn."

"Such a noble gesture!" Ruby replied sarcastically.

"I'll behave! I promise! I'll even sleep on the floor if you want me to!"

"Hmm," Ruby opened her door and let him follow her into the room. "I don't see why when I've got a double bed. It's not like we've never shared a bed before. But be warned Slade: one wrong move and you will regret it, painfully!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less!"

"Well," Ruby said removing her dressing gown. "I'm going to get some sleep now. So, if you don't mind..."

"Actually, I was kinda hoping to get some sleep as well: we drove all night to get back here."

"Just remember what I said!"

"I will."

Downstairs, in the Saloon bar, Ebony played with Hope as the two barmaids served lunches and drinks. Jetta came over to Ebony with a bowl of soup for her.

"I'll take Hope now," Jetta said, "You get your lunch."

"Thanks," Ebony replied, "She's a sweet kid."

"She takes after her father."

"What happened to him?"

"He went back to the city and the rest is history. Not a lot to tell really."

"Hmm," Ebony tasted the soup. "This is good. Thanks."

"No problem," Jetta replied, carrying Hope back into the kitchen.

A few hours later, Ruby awoke. Looking round she found Slade, lying next to her, but on top of the covers, fast asleep. Ruby got up and dressed and, as Slade was still sleeping when she was ready to go downstairs, she decided to let him sleep: he would wake up when he was hungry, men usually do.

When she reached the bar, Ruby found Jetta and Ebony talking babies and playing with Hope. Skye was serving a customer. Ruby nodded to them and went through to the kitchen to make the evening meal. Once it was ready, Jetta and Skye served the customers and guests, while Ruby took a bowl of stew up to Aeryn.

"How's he doing?" Ruby asked as she placed the bowl of stew on the bedside table for Aeryn.

"Better," Aeryn replied. "He's responding to the anti-venom anyway, which is a good sign. He could wake up any time."

"Well, that's good," Ruby replied, sighing.

"You don't sound too sure!"

"It's just ... Well, it's complicated."

"You sound like your man."

"My man?"

"Slade. He said exactly the same thing about the two of you. He's a stubborn one, Slade. We wanted him to get some sleep before he brought me here, but he wouldn't. He hasn't slept for two nights at least, and plenty more before that if you ask me!"

"Huh?" Ruby sounded surprised.

"What?"

"He told me he hadn't slept last night, but that's all. He never mentioned anything else."

"He tries not to show it. He just carries on regardless."

"Yeah, he's good at that!" Ruby gave a wry smile and raised her eyebrows.

"S-somethin' smells good," said a groggy voice behind them.

"Jack! You're awake!" Ruby cried.

"Yeah, a-and I'm starving!"

"I'm not surprised! You've been out of it for two days!"

"Really!"

"Here," Aeryn cut in, handing Jack the still untouched bowl of stew. "You can eat this. I'll get another bowl downstairs. Excuse me."

When Aeryn left, Ruby watched the boy eat.

"You had us all worried!" Ruby told him. "Ebony would only leave your side if Aeryn or myself ordered her to!"

"Hmm," Jack stopped eating to think. "S-so it was just you, Aeryn and Ebony in here. No one else."

"The occasional other person, but you never woke up while any of them were here, apparently. Why?"

"Oh, um, j-just a dream. That's all."

"You had a few of those."

"Did I?" Jack cast his mind back, but everything was a fading blur, like so many dreams.

"You okay?" Ruby asked, putting her hand on his arm and revealing the slight bruising on her side.

"I-I'm fine," Jack answered, noticing the bruise. "I-it's you that looks as though they've been in the wars! Who gave you that?"

"Um, you did," Ruby replied, softly. "But it's nothing, really."

"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't hurt anyone else as well!"

"I'm the only one who took a punch, don't worry."

"Looks like I've missed a nice day," Jack tried to change the subject.

"Hmm," Ruby replied, thoughtfully. "Might be pretty stormy tomorrow though."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Ruby returned downstairs with glee, passing Aeryn on her way out of the bathroom and sending her back to Jack's room. She rushed past the girls into the kitchen and emerged with another bowl of stew and some more bread on a tray with a pitcher of water and two glasses.

"You look happy!" Skye laughed. "Slade must have woken up I suppose?"

"Not Slade, no," Ruby answered on her way past.

"Then who …" Skye started.

"Jack!" Ebony cut her off. "He's awake?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied, heading up the stairs. "But give him some space to catch up, Ebony: he's a little out of it still."

"Sure," Ebony was a little taken aback by Ruby's sudden order to keep away, but she shook off the feeling and decided it must have come from Aeryn.

When Ruby reached the door to Jack's room, the door behind her opened and a very sleepy Slade looked out.

"Wanna hand with that?" Slade asked, rubbing his eyes. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Yes and because you looked as though you needed the sleep!" Ruby answered, trying to maintain her grip on the tray. "Jack's awake by the way."

Slade opened the door for Ruby and followed her into the room. Jack was sitting up in the bed, listening to Aeryn tell him what he could and could not do for the next while.

"I'll be here to keep an eye on you, though," Aeryn was saying, "so don't worry too much."

"Sure. Whatever," Jack replied glumly.

"You're awake then?" Slade called.

"Apparently so," Jack sighed.

"You can take your meal through next door, if you want, Aeryn," Ruby said as she placed the tray down on the small bedside table. "There's a larger dressing table and a chair through there. I'm sure Ebony wouldn't mind you using it just now."

"Of course," Aeryn assented and left the room.

"Sh-she's still here then?" Jack said suddenly.

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"Ebony. She said she was going to stay, but then … I thought … what with those guys and everything."

"She's still here. She's downstairs just now. She's been up here most of the time."

"Sulking in her room?" Jack asked with a wry laugh.

"No, looking after you!" Ruby snapped, making Jack look up at her with a hurt look. "I don't know how highly you think of her, Jack, but it ain't half as highly as she thinks of you!"

Ruby stormed out of the room, leaving the two young men alone.

"Close call, mate," Slade said once the sound of Ruby's angry footsteps had receded down the corridor.

"Th-the snake or Ruby?" Jack laughed, warily.

"Both!" Slade laughed. "I don't know why she's suddenly so protective of Ebony! I'd have thought Ebony needed no help from anyone in that department. Well, now that she's got her senses back anyway!"

"Oh, she's not," Jack paused, he had been going to say 'she's not as tough as you'd think', but instead he said: "she's not that bad."

"Right," Slade murmured, eyeing Jack curiously. "So tell me. Do you remember much before you passed out?"

"I-I remember going out for water a-and getting to the well, but everything is pretty much a blank after that."

"And before it?"

"Ah, there were just those, um, those three guys that we all know and love, making trouble in the bar. I-I did a few odd jobs for Ruby before that. Got the jukebox going. And the karaoke machine! Um, not, not a lot to tell really!" Jack's brow crinkled as he spoke and Slade noticed how he avoided his gaze.

"What happened with the three guys?"

"Um, they met Ebony and ran away?" Jack looked at Slade and saw him raise a questioning eyebrow. "Ah, they hit on her a bit and she returned fire … by kissing me. Um."

Slade grinned.

"So that's it," he laughed. " I knew there must have been something!"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, the way she reacted when I brought you in. And then later, when she came up to your room with some food for me she …" Slade stopped. "She seemed really worried. And the way you were determined not to tell me about that kiss. You're a terrible liar, Jack!"

"Th-the kiss was just an act."

"Was it?"

"I …" Jack stopped, his gaze wandered off to one side as he thought back, not to the point after the three guys left, but to a point just before they arrived.

"Do you want me to send her up?" Slade asked, watching Jack chew on his lip in thought.

"Hm? Yeah. I-I guess you'd better."

"Shall I tell Aeryn to come back in now?"

"NO! No, I'm quite alright on my own for a bit. Honest. Please don't."

"She did save your life you know!"

"I-I know. A-and I'm grateful. But I just need a bit of time alone, to think, that's all."

"Okay."

Slade smiled and left. Closing the door behind him, he shook his head. He had wondered, ever since Ebony had admitted to him what she felt for Jack, if Jack knew anything about it and if he felt the same. Now he knew.

As he reached the bar, Ruby looked up to him, then, nervously, down at the bar. What's she hiding, Slade thought. Singling out Ebony, playing with a young child, Slade went over and told her that she could go up to see Jack. Ebony handed Hope to Slade and told him to take her over to Jetta, her mother, then rushed up the stairs.

"I believe this little lady belongs to you?" Slade said, handing Hope, awkwardly, to her mother.

"Yeah, she's mine," Jetta replied, cradling her daughter, "Thanks."

"No problem. She's a cute kid. Reminds me a lot of someone."

Jetta disappeared through to the back room, where Skye was once again "testing out" the karaoke machine. Slade sidled over to where Ruby was watching Jetta leave, a worried look creasing her face.

"She's Jack's isn't she?" Slade asked.

"What? Who?" Ruby jumped, startled.

"Jetta's daughter. What's her name? Hope? She's Jack's daughter, isn't she?"

"What makes you think that?" Ruby replied, nonchalantly.

"Um, let me see. You take a pot shot at the guy for not thinking highly enough of Ebony. I come down here and you are obviously hiding something. Whatever it is, Ebony is obviously not aware of it and neither is Jack for all I can tell. Jetta's daughter looks a lot like her father. Jetta makes a quick exit when I mention she reminds me of someone. You stare after her like she's the worst crossword clue you've ever come across. Anything I've missed?"

"Okay, she's Jack's. But Ebony doesn't know, Jack doesn't know and as far as Jetta's concerned, we don't know either! So don't go upsetting her about it, okay!"

"Okay! Okay! I won't! Scouts honour!"

"You were never in the Scouts!"

Upstairs, Ebony approached and knocked on Jack's door. When she walked in, she found Jack standing, looking out of the window. He was wearing pyjamas and an old dressing gown Ruby had found for him when they had first arrived. Ebony walked over to him and put a hand on his arm.

"You should be in bed," she told him, sternly.

"Yeah, yeah. So Aeryn keeps telling me. I can't do this, I can't do that! I …" Jack turned round and got his first glimpse of Ebony in her new attire. His brow creased as he made sure he was definitely looking at the same person. "Wow! Th-that's... That's some change!"

"Do ya like it?" Ebony replied, playfully, twirling round, "I thought, since it was a new start, well for me anyway, maybe I needed a new look? What do you think?"

"I, um... I think it suits you. You look... totally different!"

"Not a hint of the old warrior queen left!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that!" Jack laughed.

"Hey!" Ebony feigned mock indignance, "If you weren't a sick man, I'd hit you for that!"

"I'll be sure and take my time getting better then!"

Ebony aimed a fake punch at him and Jack stepped back, laughing.

"Well," Ebony said, sounding slightly hurt. "It is a new start for me. I don't want to go back to the city or who I was there. I want to stay here. Leave all the fighting behind. Be myself for a change."

"With those three guys around?"

"Even with those three guys around."

"Ebony, before, um, before they arrived, wh-what happened?"

"You mean when we caught you singing?" Ebony laughed.

"N-no, I mean after that. When Ruby had gone through to the kitchen or somewhere and we were talking," Jack watched Ebony's eyes grow serious again. "What happened? Or rather, what _would _have happened ... if they hadn't come in?"

"I, um," Ebony's voice faltered. "I don't know. Um. Maybe I should go."

Ebony turned to leave, but Jack stepped forward and caught her hand. When she turned back to face him, he could see fear in her eyes.

"What is it?" Jack asked, gently, drawing nearer to her as he spoke. "What's wrong. What are you afraid of? Me?"

"No," Ebony sighed, shook her head and looked away. "It's just … I …"

Jack raised one hand and turned her face towards him. Gently, he brushed her lips with his own. Ebony looked up, hesitantly, into his eyes; eyes that saw right through the masks that fooled everyone else. They'd been through so much together, now here they were. If someone walked in this time, she really would hit them! A smile crossed her lips and she reached up and kissed him back. The kiss was gentle at first then, as they wrapped their arms around each other, it grew deeper.

They broke apart as someone knocked on the door. Inwardly, Ebony was cursing but, as Jack returned to his bed, where he was meant to be, Ebony walked over and opened the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

  
For three days more, Jack was confined to his room under the watchful eye of Aeryn. Ebony was allowed in to see him for only short periods of time as he, according to Aeryn, needed his rest. Ebony, however, was not easily put off by Jack's newly acquired watchdog. Aeryn would gladly let her in when she was bringing up food or water; she would even let her stay a little while, but her constant presence made the two uneasy and their conversation was stifled. But Aeryn could not be there all the time. Ebony watched and waited. Whenever the opportunity arose, she would sneak in to see Jack and they would talk as they had before, in the hallway of the apartment they had stayed in on their way to Liberty, in the midst of the night in the old school and countless other times in the past that had meant nothing before and everything now.

On the second night, Ebony retired to her room as usual and feigned sleep. When all had grown quiet, she crept out of her bed, in her long night gown, and towards the connecting door to Jack's room. Opening the door, carefully and silently, she cast a glance towards Aeryn. Assuring herself that the girl was fast asleep, her legs curled up onto the chaise that Ruby had put in Jack's room especially for her, Ebony opened the door wide enough to let her through and tiptoed into the room. Closing the door over gently, Ebony advanced towards Jack. She sat down on the bed and watched him sleeping. Before, this had been agony: not knowing if he would ever awake. Now, she sat watching his chest rise and fall peacefully. She could sit all night watching him sleep. If she had thought Aeryn would have given them any space, she might have done just that; but for the moment, time was precious.

Leaning down, Ebony brushed his lips with her own. He stirred. Once again she kissed him. This time he kissed her back. Ebony felt Jack's hand slide around her neck. She pulled back a little and held a finger to her lips. Taking his hand, she led him through to her own room, then, as quietly as she had opened it, shut the door firmly behind them.

"You realise, if she wakes up, we're both in deep trouble!" Jack exclaimed in a hurried whisper.

"She needs her sleep. She won't wake up," Ebony assured him. "Not for hours!"

"Have you told anyone?"

"About what?"

"Us."

"Oh. No. Well, no-one except Ruby. I dunno, I kinda thought Aeryn wouldn't let me near you if she knew," Ebony slid her arms around Jack's neck and giggled quietly. "I think she thinks I'm a bad enough influence on you just as a friend!"

"Plus, if you do tell 'em, they'll all be watching us like hawks!" Jack said dryly, sliding his arms around Ebony's waist. "They're usually kinda short on news out here!"

"Oh, they have their new karaoke machine to entertain them. And the jukebox. I don't think they've both been quiet since Skye realised they were fixed! It's usually her on the karaoke!"

"Who's Skye?"

"Just one of Ruby's barmaids."

"Ah. So," Jack asked. "Why did you drag me out of my nice warm bed?"

Ebony broke away from Jack's embrace and led him round to the far side of her bed. She had the larger room and her bed was a four poster. The spare blankets had been piled up against the side of it and a fire crackled in the fireplace opposite. All around there were various fruits and sweetmeats and even a bottle of wine.

"Don't you think we're a little old for midnight feasts?" Jack smiled.

"But it's such fun! Sneaking around, trying to avoid sleeping guards ..."

"... Like Aeryn ..."

"Exactly. Ruby helped."

"Oh, really?" Jack twirled a strand of Ebony's hair around his finger as she pulled him down to sit beside her on the blankets.

"Well, I wanted to ..."

"Shush," Jack placed a finger against her lips then leaned forward.

Ebony met Jack's lips with her own, her hand sliding up his chest and round his neck as he stroked her hair. The fingers of their other hands entwining as the kiss continued and grew deeper. When they broke apart Jack rested his forehead against Ebony's.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that?" he murmured.

"I haven't even any idea how long _I've _wanted you to do that!" Ebony replied, softly. "I just know it feels like forever."

Jack looked down at their joined hands. He ran his thumb up and down Ebony's tiny hand and felt her lay her head on his shoulder.

"I wish this night could last forever," Ebony whispered, staring into the fire as Jack slid his free arm round her waist, drawing her closer to him.

"Me too," he answered, kissing the top of her head lightly,."Me too."

On the fourth day, Aeryn relented and decided to let Jack get up and dressed. When he was ready, she accompanied him down to the bar and deposited him at Slade's side with strict instructions that, should anything untoward occur, Slade was to send for her immediately. With assurances from Slade that he would do "just that", Aeryn returned upstairs to get some sleep. Slade, after watching her ascend the stairs, turned to Jack.

"Well?" Slade asked. "Surviving?"

"Just about," Jack laughed. "Thanks to you!"

"It was nothing mate," Slade replied. "It's thanks to you that most of the city is still alive!"

"Nah, nah, it wasn't just me," Jack shook his head. Slade merely raised an eyebrow.

"Nevertheless," he replied. "I'd certainly like to buy you a drink. Now that you're back with us, of course. What'll you have?"

"Oh, j-just water, thanks," Jack rubbed the back of his head, then shrugged. "I don't really drink."

"Not surprised after what it did to me," Lex called from the doorway. "And, for that matter, the state _you_ ended up in the first time we got you drunk! Why are you getting drinks bought for you anyway?"

"Jack's just recovering from a very traumatic time," Ruby said defensively, bringing the boys their drinks.

"Oh, so Ebony did catch up with you then," Lex quipped, frowning slightly when he saw Jack give a wry smile and look at his feet. "I thought I saw her go after you."

"A-actually, I was ill," Jack replied. "Snake bite. G-gave me a bit of a fever."

"He nearly died," Ruby added, matter-of-factly.

Jack looked up when he heard the door to the back room open and shut. Ebony walked in with a girl he had never seen before, and presumed must be Skye, who was carrying a young child. Ebony looked straight at Jack and smiled. Jack smiled back. The forgotten Lex followed Jack's gaze and did a double take.

"Is that Ebony?" Lex gasped, shocked at the change in the ex-warrior queen.

"Yup," Slade replied. "That's our Ebony. The new and improved version of an old classic. Well, that's what she says anyway."

"Hey," Jack turned back to the two other young men. "I think it's an improvement!"

"Yeah, I can see that mate!" Lex laughed. "Boy, she's really got her claws into you!"

Jack just smiled and looked back over at Ebony. She caught his glance and started over towards him. Skye followed her, carrying Hope and looking more than slightly nervous. Jack never noticed Slade glance first at him, then at Hope and bite his lip with a worried frown.

"You've been allowed out then?" Ebony asked, quietly, leaning over the bar towards Jack.

"And praying I don't have to go back in there for a while. I hate not having anything to do," Jack said, quickly.

"I guess it all depends on the company you have," Ebony replied, quietly, so that Lex and Slade could not hear her.

"I meant work," Jack muttered, blushing and avoiding Lex's gaze.

"You're kidding me, right?" Lex whispered to Slade. "Those two? Really? Since when?"

Slade raised an eyebrow, shrugged and sipped his drink, diplomatically. Hope giggled.

"Hello there," Jack laughed, glad of the distraction, and leant forward to talk to the child in Skye's arms, next to Ebony. "And who are you then?"

Hope giggled again and reached out for Jack. He raised his hand to catch hers. Unseen, Jetta walked through from the kitchen into the bar. She looked up to see Jack, holding his daughter's hand and looking up to a rather nervous Skye.

"H-her name's Hope," Skye announced, giving a hesitant smile.

"Hello, Hope. My, aren't you a sweetie-pie," Jack said. Then, looking back up to Skye, he asked: "Is she yours?"

"She's mine," Jetta replied, before Skye could answer.

Everyone looked round. Skye bit her lip and looked quickly back to Jack, as did Slade and Ruby. Jack had looked round to see Jetta at the other end of the bar, then stopped. His face had paled and he'd let Hope pull her hand away without seeming to notice. Eventually, Ebony and Lex also noticed the silence and Jack's shocked expression.

"Jack, are you okay?" Ebony asked, frowning.

"H-h-how old ... um ... is ... um ... Hope?" Jack asked, ignoring Ebony's question.

"Fourteen months," Jetta replied.

Everyone could see Jack counting the months in his head, eventually he relaxed a little.

"She was a couple of months early though," Jetta added, watching Jack's face.

Jack's face certainly seemed to be the centre of attention. Lex, especially, was intrigued.

"H-h-how can you b-be sure?" Jack asked.

"There only ever was the one guy."

"Ah."

Jack's gaze travelled from Jetta, to the bar, then, eventually, up to Hope. The child giggled innocently and patted Jack's pale face with her tiny hand.

"Hello, Hope," he said at last, with a lopsided grin. "I'm your dad!"

Hope laughed again, as the others held their breath, and Jack dropped like a stone.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Come on, mate," Lex was saying as Jack slowly came round.

Jack was sitting in one of the wooden seated booths of the saloon with Slade on one side of him and Lex on the other. Lex was holding Hope. Looking around, Jack saw that Skye was serving behind the bar but the other three girls were gone.

"Where's Jetta?" Jack asked, still in a bit of a daze.

"She, Ruby and Ebony went through to the kitchen to talk," Slade replied. "Ebony wasn't best pleased."

"Ebony!" Jack cried, starting to get to his feet only to be sat back down again by Slade.

"Don't worry, Ruby's there. They just need to talk this out."

"Talk? Why would Ebony want to talk to Jetta and not to me?"

"Because Jetta's the one who neglected to tell her that the baby she kept getting Ebony to look after, when she wasn't looking after you, was your daughter. She didn't even tell Ruby, although both Ruby and I managed to work it out on our own."

"But, but …"

"Relax, mate," said Lex, shifting Hope's weight from one arm to another in a bid to cover his obvious amusement. "You're best to leave them to it. Let Ruby deal with it. You've had enough excitement for one morning it seems!"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ruby was trying to keep the peace between Ebony and Jetta.

"You should have told me!" Ebony cried.

"Why, what would it have achieved?" Jetta replied. "Hope's parentage is nobody's business except mine and Jack's!"

"You lied to me! You let me think her father was dead! Or at least as good as!"

"I can't control the conclusions you jump to Ebony!"

"You pretended not to recognise him!"

"I wasn't sure at first: he's changed a lot in looks!"

"Yeah, right!"

"Ladies, PLEASE!" Ruby yelled above the noise of the argument. "What's done is done! Bickering over it won't change anything!"

"SHE lied!" Ebony yelled.

"Does it really matter?" Ruby cried, raising her hands in protest.

"YES!"

"Oh, come on, Ebony!" Jetta exclaimed. "That has nothing to do with it, has it? You just want to know what happened between me and Jack so that you know whether or not I'm a threat!"

"And are you?"

"No!"

"I don't believe you! First, you move in right across the hall. Then you distract me by getting me to baby-sit for you. Now you're using your daughter to move in on MY man!"

"You know I'm not! I moved in here because I had nowhere else to go. There was no point even trying to keep Hope a secret from her father once he was up and about. I wasn't going to lie to him. That doesn't mean I'm after him, though! Sure, the time I spent with Jack was the best time of my life and I will never regret that last night. Hope is the best thing that's ever happened to me, but he doesn't love me. He never has. I took advantage of him that night, hoping I could make him love me, but I couldn't. If I'd known what he'd felt for Ellie, I would never even have tried."

When the fuss died down, much, much later, Jack finally got a chance to speak to Jetta.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know where you were or whether you were with Ellie or what!"

"I-I'm a Mall Rat! I was at the mall! A-And what does it matter whether I'm with Ellie or not! Hope's my daughter!"

"I know, but it does matter. You were probably quite happy without us. And I did go to the mall, at one point, but I just watched from a distance. You'd already been taken by the Technos by then."

"A-And then? How did you end up here?"

"I just walked. When I reached Liberty, I was tired and hungry and Ruby gave me a bed for the night. I found myself and Hope somewhere to stay, properly, because I didn't want my baby to grow up above a bar, and started working for Ruby. You know the rest."

"So, where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean? Jack, we just carry on as normal."

"Nah, nah, nah, nah: Hope is my daughter, I-I can't just 'carry on as normal'! Jetta, I want to be able to see her grow up! I'd like to have a bit of an input into how she grows up, I-if that's alright with you!"

"Hope and I are fine as we are!" Jetta said firmly. "We'll be fine here, with Ruby. Whether you choose to go back to the city, or off travelling, or even stay here, it's up to you. I won't stop you from seeing her, Jack."

"Would you … be … happy if I stayed here?"

"Jack …"

"I-I mean, there's nothing, really, for me to go back to in the city …"

"_Jack_…"

"I-I could just stay here with the two of you and we could …"

"_JACK!_"

"What?"

"What about Ebony?"

"Ah."

Jack bit his lip and looked at his feet.

"Don't try and tell me there's nothing going on between you or that you are just good friends. Don't even try to tell me that 'she'll understand', because I'm sure she won't," Jetta rose from their secluded booth in the back room. "I might never have been able to make you fall in love with me, Jack, but I can see when you've fallen for someone else."

Watching Jetta walk away, Jack had to agree: there was no way Ebony would understand. He couldn't ask that of her. He was fond of Jetta, very fond of her, but he loved Ebony. And he had no idea why.

"Jack?"

Jack looked up to see Ebony walking across to him. She had avoided him for most of the afternoon and he was relieved to see her.

"Ebony," he smiled, pulling her close to him. "I was beginning to think you'd run out on me."

"I was beginning to think I should!" Ebony replied, pulling away from him when he tried to kiss her.

"Wh-what!" Jack's brow creased in confusion.

"You and Jetta have a daughter. Don't you want to stay with Jetta?"

"N-no, yes, I mean … Of course I want to see my daughter, but I want to be with you. L-look, Jetta and I... we talked about it and Hope's safe here. She has a home in Liberty and Ruby will probably insist they stay here for good now."

"So you're still going looking for the others?"

"As soon as I'm well enough to leave. I'm coming back though. Jetta might not want me around permanently, but there is no way I am going to let my daughter grow up without me."

Ebony nodded and stayed quiet. It hurt that she would have to share him now, but she expected nothing less of him. If he had been willing to back down and walk away, then he wasn't the man she fell in love with.

"But you're taking me with you?" Ebony asked quickly, a sudden afterthought.

"Could I even try and stop you?"

"No."

"Well then."

Ebony finally let him kiss her, still worrying at first that Jack had sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than her but then, as his hands slid up her back and the kiss deepened, she forgot everything except that he was there, at that moment, with her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Lex left after a couple of days, apparently heading back to the mall from what anyone could make out. He never had been too clear about where he had been, why he was there or what he was up to, and Lex was usually up to something! With Lex gone, life in Liberty returned to its usual sedate pace. Jetta would let Jack watch Hope while she was working; Ebony would watch Jack, playing with his new-found daughter; Skye would watch Slade, longingly; Slade and Ruby would often be locked in private conversations about who knows what; and Aeryn would watch over Jack and tell him off whenever she saw him do anything too "strenuous", or, as Jack put it, whenever she saw him having fun!

"Honestly, Aeryn, I feel fine!" Jack cried, having been told that he really shouldn't be throwing his daughter up in the air like that. "I'm okay!"

"No, you're not!" Aeryn chided. "You really should rest more. You are still weak from the fever, whether you feel it or not!"

"Jack, perhaps you should listen to her," Ebony offered, putting a hand on his arm. "You need to rest more. Aeryn knows her stuff!"

"I know, but I just want to spend as much time with my daughter as I can. I-Is that such a crime?"

"Carry on like this and you won't be able to spend any time with her!" Aeryn said, sharply. "You'll end up stuck in that bed again."

Jack sighed and handed Hope over to Aeryn, then stormed off to his room. Ebony made to follow him, but Aeryn stopped her and handed her the child.

"No, you stay here," Aeryn ordered her. "I want to talk to him alone, then I want to make sure he lies down and rests!"

Ebony's jaw tightened. She wasn't used to being ordered around, but with her new wardrobe came her new, less feisty image and she strove to keep it. It wasn't easy. As she walked over to the jukebox, Hope on her hip, Ebony cast her mind back over the past couple of days. They hadn't been easy!

"He finally wakes up and I never get to spend any time with him," she told the little girl, who looked up at her with her big, dark eyes. "Any time he's let out of his room, he spends with you. I know, I know: I shouldn't complain. I should be supportive. Stand back and let him get to know you and spend time with you and so on. But I miss him. He's right there and I miss him. Now doesn't that sound silly?"

Hope giggled and clapped her chubby little hands as they reached the jukebox.

"Now, little one, what shall we have?"

Hope's hands reached out to hit the buttons randomly. One of them hit home and activated the machine. As the jukebox whirred into life, Ebony laughed.

"Just over a year old and getting to grips with machines already? Oh, help! Not another one! You're gonna end up just like your dad, aren't you?"

"That's kinda what I was hoping," Jetta called from behind Ebony and Hope.

Ebony turned round, biting her tongue. It was easier when she reminded herself that she was holding Jack's very young and easily upset daughter in her arms. Behind Ebony, the jukebox began playing whatever track Hope had managed to hit. It wasn't a tune Ebony recognised.

"I take it you've come to get your daughter?"

"Well, I came to see if Jack was okay with her or if he wanted me to take over for a while, but I see that's already taken care of. I know you see me as the enemy, Ebony, but there's really no need. I'm not going to try and take Jack away from you."

The lyrics of the track began playing.

I needed the shelter  
Of somebody's arms.  
There you were.

"I knew from the first time we met that he'd never love me," Jetta said. "Not like I love him. He was there when I needed him. That's all."

I needed someone  
To understand my ups and downs.  
There you were.

"That's all? Honey, if that was all, why am I standing here holding his daughter, who also happens to be your daughter?"

"Things got a little out of hand. He wasn't really thinking straight and I took advantage of that. I loved him. I still do love him. Always will. But he'll never love me. At least this way, I have Hope."

_With sweet love and devotion._

Jetta took her daughter out of Ebony's arms and headed out of the room.

_  
Deeply touching my emotion._

Ebony sighed and sat down heavily against the jukebox. Maybe Jetta didn't have any intention of stealing Jack, that wouldn't stop him wanting to be with his daughter.

_I wanna stop (stop)  
And tell you thank you (and tell you thank you)_

She cast her mind back to the first night they had spent together before Aeryn let Jack out of his room. The had sat in each others arms for hours, watching the fire die down, just happy in each other's company.

_I wanna stop (stop)  
And just say thank you (and tell you thank you)_

Ebony sighed and smiled at the memory. Jack wasn't the type to rush into things. He couldn't have been thinking straight back then, with Jetta. Jetta's story had to be true. It would just be nice to hear it from Jack.

_How sweet it is (how sweet it is)  
(to be loved by you, to be loved by you)_

Ebony sat up, recognising the song for the first time as the one Jack had spoken of ages ago in the lobby of that apartment back in the city. She settled back to listen to the words, closing her eyes and letting the memories wash over her.

_I'm loved by you and it's so sweet (how sweet it is)  
So sweet (to be loved by you, to be loved by you)_

_Close my eyes and I  
And I wonder  
Where I'd be without you in my life.  
Everything, everything was just a bore  
All the things that I did  
Seems I've done them before._

Ebony opened her eyes as she felt someone sit down in front of her. It was Jack. He was sitting so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

_But you brighten up all my days_

"I thought Aeryn wanted to make sure you got some rest?" Ebony asked, smiling.

_  
With a love so sweet in so many ways._

"I promised her I wouldn't do anything too energetic and she let me off with a caution," Jack grinned. "I thought we could spend some time together."

_I gotta stop (stop)  
And just say thank you (and tell you thank you)_

"Oh really?" Ebony grinned back. "Doing what exactly?"

_  
I wanna stop (stop)  
Oh, and tell you that I love you (and tell you thank you)_

"Um, just off the top of my head now," Jack replied, wrinkling his brow and pretending to concentrate. "This?"

He leant forward and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was soft and gentle. Ebony felt a shiver run up and down her spine.

_  
(How sweet it is) How sweet it is  
(To be loved by you) To be loved by you  
(To be loved by you) To be loved by you_

_It so sweet (How sweet it is)  
Yes it is (To be loved by you, to be loved by you)_

As they pulled apart, Ebony's eyes flickered open again and met Jack's. This time, as Jack drew her closer to him, the kiss grew deeper.

_You're better to me  
Than I've been to myself.  
For me there is you  
And nobody else._

_(How sweet it is)  
(To be loved by you) To be loved by you  
(To be loved by you) To be loved by you  
(How sweet it is) It's so sweet  
(To be loved by you) To be loved by you  
(To be loved by you)_

_Oh it's so sweet, so sweet, so sweet  
(To be loved by you, to be loved by you)_

_(How sweet it is) To be loved by you._

As the song ended, the pair remained locked in each other's arms, Ebony's cheek resting on Jack's shoulder, her eyes closed as she savoured every moment of his company.

~Fini~

* * *

**A/N: Act Two of A Tragedy In Five Acts is now being posted. It is called "How Sweet It Is". Many thanks to all those who have stuck with the story throughout. Thank you for all your support, especially those of you who have reviewed.**


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